COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Joel Davis provided the go-ahead blast in the sixth that propelled the No. 20 Texas A&M Aggies over the Prairie View A&M Panthers, 9-2, Tuesday night on Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.
Aggie bats started slow but came through late, putting up six runs in the final two innings. The back half of the order provided the biggest damage on the night. The six through nine hitters went 5-for-10 drawing seven walks. Catcher Hunter Coleman had the best night of his young career reaching base in four of his five plate appearances.
Lefty John Doxakis made his second start on the mound, fanning five Panthers in as many innings. The freshman left with a no-decision after giving up two runs on three hits.
Landon Miner (1-0) got the win for the Aggies working three innings out of the pen. Miner came into the day with 4.0 perfect innings to his record and got the first four outs before allowing his first career baserunner. The freshman fanned five before Jason Ruffcorn came in to work a spotless ninth. Altogether, the Aggie arms struck out a dozen Panthers.
The two squads traded one-run innings in the early going. The Aggies (7-1) drew first blood in the third after the first 15 batters of the game were retired. Blake Kopetsky came home on an error after he boarded with a walk.
The Panthers answered back with crafty base-running in the fourth. Corbin Jamison singled up the middle to begin the inning. Jamison then stole second, advanced to third on a failed fielder’s choice, and scored on a caught stealing. In the fifth, the Panthers strung together a couple hits to take a 2-1 lead on Andrew Garcia’s single.
The Aggies tied the game back up with a two-out wild pitch in the fifth. Davis delivered his long fly to center in the sixth that gave Texas A&M the lead for good. The Aggie bats broke it open in the seventh and eighth tagging the Prairie View pen for three runs in each inning.
Prairie View hurler Darrien Williams (0-1) was saddled with the loss for night. The junior threw into the sixth before giving up the go-ahead homer to Davis. He yielded three runs, two earned, on five hits and four walks while striking out five in 5.0 innings.
Among the Aggie notables, Kopetsky finished the night 2-for-3 with a walk and two driven in. The senior’s two-run single in the seventh gave the Texas A&M a 5-2 lead. Off the bench, Austin Homan reached base on both trips to the plate.
Next up, Incarnate Word travels to College Station on Wednesday for 6:30 tilt with the Aggies. Texas A&M will follow it up with a three-game set at the Shriners Hospitals for Children College Classic in.
Texas A&M head coach Rob Childress
Aggie OF Blake Kopetsky
Aggie RHP Landon Miner
Aggie C Hunter Coleman
Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics