Story by Thomas Dick, Texas A&M Athletics Communications
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas A&M Aggies split Sunday afternoon’s doubleheader with the Penn Quakers with a 5-0 win in the opening game and an 8-5 loss in the nightcap on Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.
In the lid lifter, Micah Dallas dominated as the Maroon & White tossed a one-hitter against the Quakers. Dallas registered 10 strikeouts in 8.0 innings. The first hitter of the game singled for Penn and Dallas issued a walk in the third as the Quakers had just two base runners in the game. The Aggies retired the last 20 hitters, including 17 in a row set down by Dallas.
Joseph Menefee closed out game one, striking out two of the three batters he faced in the ninth.
The Aggies jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning, including RBI singles by Jack Moss and Austin Bost. In the fifth inning Brett Minnich singled in a run and Troy Claunch hit an RBI double to close out the scoring in game one.
Texas A&M was sunk by a five-run ninth inning by Penn in the second game. Ryan Prager got no decision in the contest, despite yielding just one run on three hits while striking out eight in 5.2 innings.
The Aggies moved to 5-2 on the season.
GAME ONE
TOP AGGIE PERFORMERS
Micah Dallas – 8.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 10 K, W 2-0
Jacob Moss – 2-for-4, 2 runs, 1 RBI
Dylan Rock – 2-for-4, 1 run, one double, one stolen base
GAME SUMMARY
B1| Kole Kaler reached on an error by the shortstop to start the frame. Dylan Rock followed with a gapper to right-center for a double. Jack Moss and Austin Bost both singled through the left side to plate a run and Troy Claunch knocked in a run with a sacrifice fly. A&M 3, PENN 0
B5| Moss poked a single to rightfield and Bost drew a five-pitch walk. Brett Minnich singled to rightfield to drive in Moss and Bost scored while Claunch deposited a double down the rightfield line. A&M 5, PENN 0
GAME TWO
TOP AGGIE PERFORMERS
Ryan Prager – 5.2 IP, 3 HR, 1 R, 0 BB, 8 K
Brett Minnich – 2-for-4, 2 R, 1 BB
Dylan Rock – 2-for-4, 1 BB, 2 SB
GAME SUMMARY
B2 | With one out, Brett Minnich gapped a double to left-center. With two outs, Minnich scored when the Penn first man dropped the ball running toward first base to retire Ryan Targac for the last out of the frame. A&M 1, PENN 0
T4 | With two outs Wyatt Henseler lofted a fly ball off the rightfield foul pole for a solo home run. A&M 1, PENN 1
B5 | Dylan Rock drew a five-pitch walk and stole second base. After Jack Moss drew a seven-pitch base on balls he moved to second when Rock got caught in a pickoff rundown. Austin Bost and Minnich drew walks to fill the bags with Ags. Troy Claunch drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly to centerfield. Bost scored on a wild pich and Ryan Targac plated Minnich with a single up the middle. A&M 4, PENN 1
B6 | Kole Kaler slapped a leadoff single to left-center. Kaler moved to second on a one-out walk by Moss and scored when Minnich drove a two-out single up the middle. A&M 5, PENN 1
T7 | Henseler gapped a leadoff single to left-center and scored on a single up the middle by Ben Miller. A&M 5, PENN 2
T8 | Seth Werchan singled through the right side of the infield and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Tommy Courtney. After Jackson Appel drew a five-pitch walk, Craig Larsen hit a grounder to third base, but Werchan beat Kaler to the bag and all of the runners were safe on the fielder’s choice. A four-pitch walk by Henseler pushed a run across before Brad Rudis and Joseph Menefee struck out consecutive batters to get out of the frame. A&M 5, PENN 3
T9 | Anderw Hernandez singled through the left side and moved to second on a wild pitch. With one out, Werchan slapped a single to right-center to plate Hernandez. Singles by Courtney and Appel loaded the bases and Larsen cleared the bases with a double down the rightfield line. Henseler knocked in Larsen with a double to centerfield to wrap up the scoring. PENN 8, A&M 5
UP NEXT
The Aggies return to the corner of Bush & Olsen on Tuesday when they welcome the HBU Huskies for a 6:32 p.m.
TEXAS A&M QUOTES
Head Coach Jim Schlossnagle
On what he learned about his team over the course of the series…
“We’ve got a long way to go, obviously. Disappointing. I thought our guys came out ready to play in the first game. Micah (Dallas) and (Ryan) Prager were both outstanding. We had great starting pitching. We just left a lot of runs on bases. You can sit there and stare at the bullpen and the bullpen certainly fell apart there at the end, but it all adds on top of itself… I am so proud of (Joseph) Menefee and how he competed today. I can’t remember the last time that I used a pitcher twice in a day in February. That is a conference tournament move, but it was our best option at the time. He felt great and I am super proud of him.”
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