Story courtesy of Texas A&M Athletics
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Clutch, two-out hitting lifted the seventh-ranked and fifth-seeded Texas A&M Aggies to an 8-2 victory over Oral Roberts in the NCAA College Station Regional opener Friday afternoon before 6,215 fans at Blue Bell Park.
The Aggies (38-18), who scored seven of their eight runs with two outs, advance to face the winner of Friday’s TCU/Louisiana game on Saturday night with first pitch set for 6 p.m. ORU (38-19) will face that game’s loser in an elimination game at Noon.
A&M trailed 1-0 in the second inning when Jordan Thompson delivered a two-out, two-strike home run over the wall in left field. The Aggies then extended a two-run lead in the bottom of the seventh with a long two-out, three-run blast by Austin Bost deep into the parking lot in left. The round-tripper, Bost’s eighth of the year, pushed the A&M advantage to 6-1.
Jack Moss added a two-strike, two-out double in the eight to close out the scoring.
Micah Dallas (6-3) went five strong innings to pick up the victory, scattering seven hits and allowing only one run.
Joseph Menefee was stellar in relief, ending the sixth inning with a strikeout as the tying run was at the plate and the seventh with a punchout with the game-tying runs at second and third. He would finish his three innings of work allowing three hits and one run while striking out seven.
Ledgend Smith (7-5) took the loss, allowing eight hits and three runs (two earned) in 4.1 innings of work.
TOP PERFORMERS
Jack Moss (A&M) – 3-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI
Jordan Thompson (A&M) – 2-for-4, HR, 2 RBI
Austin Bost (A&M) – 1-for-3, HR, 4 RBI
Micah Dallas (A&M) – 5+ IP, 7 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 1 K (W, 6-3)
Joseph Menefee (A&M) – 3 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 BB, 7K
Holden Breeze (ORU) – 2-for-4, 2 2B, RBI
SCORING SUMMARY
T2 | Holden Breeze led off with a double down left field line, moved to third on a bunt single by Joshua Cox and scored on a squeeze bunt by Connor Beichler. ORU 1, A&M 0
B2 | Brett Minnich launched a two-out double off the base of the wall in right field. Thompson, the next batter, deposited a 2-2 pitch over the left field fence. A&M 2, ORU 1
B5 | Moss led off with a single, moved to second on a base hit, went to third on a failed pickoff attempt and scored on a sacrifice fly to right center by Bost. A&M 3, ORU 1
B7 | Bost hit a two-out, three-run home run deep over the wall in left field, driving in Kole Kaler—who reached on an error leading off the inning—and Moss, who delivered a one-out single. A&M 6, ORU 1
T8 | Jackson Loftin opened the frame with a single to right and scored on Breeze’s second double of the game. A&M 6, ORU 2
B8 | Singles by Thompson and Trevor Werner set the table for Moss’ two-strike, two-out, two-run double to right center. A&M 8, ORU 2