News release from Texas A&M Athletics:
KNOXVILLE – The Texas A&M baseball team belted 11 home runs and received quality starts from both Justin Lamkin and Myles Patton en route to a sweep of Saturday’s doubleheader against No. 1 Tennessee at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
With the doubleheader sweep, the Aggies (16-15, 3-9) claimed their first series win over a No. 1 team since 2001. The series victory also marked Texas A&M’s first-ever against a No. 1 team on the road.
Caden Sorrell led the way offensively as the sophomore went 5-for-9 with three home runs, four RBI and four runs scored. Catcher Bear Harrison followed with a 4-for-8 performance to go along with two homers, four RBI and four runs scored. In total, the Maroon & White racked up 26 runs on 27 hits in the doubleheader.
On the mound, Justin Lamkin and Myles Patton each worked six innings and allowed three runs en route to earning wins against the Volunteers (28-4, 9-3). The Texas A&M starters also combined for 11 strikeouts on the day.
Game One: Aggies 9, Volunteers 3
Starter Justin Lamkin (2-3) delivered six innings of three-run, two earned, baseball to earn the win in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader. The lefty also struck out three and allowed only one walk en route to his team-leading fifth quality start of the year. Right-hander Weston Moss picked up the save after tossing three shutout frames to go along with four punchouts.
Bear Harrison and Terrence Kiel II powered the offensive attack for the Aggies as they each went 3-for-5 at the dish. The duo also crossed the plate twice and each drove in a run. Caden Sorrell followed with a 2-for-5 effort that featured a pair of solo homers.
After the Volunteers struck first with a solo homer in the opening frame, Sorrell answered for the Aggies with an opposite field solo shot of his own in the second. The sophomore’s second long ball of the season left the bat at 95 mph and traveled 368 feet.
Tennessee responded in the bottom half with a run courtesy of an interference call at third to reclaim a 2-1 advantage.
Harrison provided the response for the Maroon & White in the fourth with a solo blast that traveled 415 feet to left center. The long ball was the sophomore’s sixth in the last 11 games.
The Volunteers looked to jump back in front in the bottom half but Kiel made a leaping catch at the wall to rob Andrew Fischer of a home run to keep the score even at 2-2.
In the fifth, Jace LaViolette followed a two-out single from Kiel with a two-run shot down the right field line to put Texas A&M in front, 4-2. The junior’s 10th long ball of the season traveled 359 feet and left the bat at 108 mph.
After a two-out rally from Tennessee in the bottom half cut the Aggie lead to one, 4-3, Texas A&M answered with a run of its own in the sixth as Harrison crossed the plate on a wild pitch.
In the seventh, Sorrell struck again as the sophomore ripped his second solo homer of the afternoon 360 feet to right. The multi-homer game marked the second of Sorrell’s career and first of the season.
The Maroon & White tacked on three more runs to their lead in the eighth to make the final 9-3. Kiel plated the first run of the frame with an RBI ground-rule double, while a Tennessee error accounted for the final two runs.
Moss worked around a one-out single in the ninth to seal the Aggies’ first win over a ranked opponent this season.
Inside the Box Score
- Texas A&M racked up 11 hits and drew three walks in the win.
- The Aggies launched four homers on the afternoon.
- Harrison and Kiel each tallied a game-best three hits.
- Sorrell totaled a game-high two homers.
- LaViolette and Sorrell led the Maroon & White with two RBI each.
- Harrison, Kiel and Sorrell each crossed the plate twice.
- Lamkin and Moss combined for seven strikeouts in the win.
Notes
- The victory marked the Maroon & White’s first against a ranked opponent this year.
- LaViolette registered the 60th home run of his career in the win.
- Sorrell’s multi-homer game marked the second of his career and first this season.
- Lamkin’s quality start marked his team-leading fifth of the year.
- Kiel’s multi-hit game was his team-leading 12th of the season.
- The rookie also logged his fifth three-hit game of the year.
- Harrison’s multi-hit game was his fourth over the last seven games.
- The sophomore totaled three hits for the second time this season.
- The three-inning save marked the first of Moss’ career.
Game Two: Aggies 17, Volunteers 6 (8 inn.)
Myles Patton (3-3) earned the win in the finale after tossing six innings of three-run baseball to go along with seven strikeouts. The left-hander also logged his third quality start of the year.
Offensively, the Aggies belted a program-tying seven homers on the night to go along with 16 hits. Wyatt Henseler (3-for-5) and Caden Sorrell (3-for-4) led the way as they each logged three hits on the night. Henseler also racked up a season-high five RBI, three runs scored and two home runs.
Kaeden Kent (2-for-3), Terrence Kiel II (2-for-6), Jace LaViolette (2-for-5) and Ben Royo (2-for-5) also recorded multi-hit performances for the Maroon & White.
Following a pair of two-out singles in the opening frame, Bear Harrison belted a three-run homer to left center to put the Aggies up 3-0. The homer marked the second of the doubleheader for Harrison and traveled 417 feet.
In the third, Sorrell delivered a two-out RBI single through the right side to extend the lead to 4-0.
The Volunteers answered in the bottom of the third with a pair of runs to cut the Texas A&M advantage in half, 4-2.
In the fourth, Royo got a run back for the Maroon & White with a 385-foot solo shot to left center. Later in the frame, Henseler crushed a three-run homer to straightaway center as the Texas A&M lead bloomed to 8-2. The Aggie third baseman’s seventh homer of the season left the bat at 106 mph and traveled 394 feet.
Following a two-out walk from Harrison, Kent joined the home run party with a two-run opposite field shot to cap off a six-run frame for the Maroon & White. The junior’s seventh long ball of the year traveled 334 feet to left and exited the bat at 97 mph.
The bats stayed hot in fifth as the Aggies posted a four runs courtesy of three homers to extend their lead to 14-2. Royo opened the frame with his second homer in as many innings and Henseler followed three batters later with a two-run blast to left. Sorrell capped off the frame with a 372-foot solo shot to right center, marking his third homer of the doubleheader.
Tennessee got a run back in the fifth on an RBI groundout, cutting the Texas A&M lead to 14-3. In the seventh, the Volunteers added a three-run homer to trim the Maroon & White advantage to 14-6.
The Aggies responded in the eighth with a two-out, two-run pinch-hit single from Hayden Schott to stretch the lead to 16-6. Kiel followed with a two-out RBI single to make the final 17-6.
Inside the Box Score
- Texas A&M racked up 16 hits, seven home runs and seven walks in the win.
- Six different Aggies logged a multi-hit game on the night.
- Henseler and Sorrell led the way with three hits each.
- Kent, Kiel, LaViolette and Royo also registered multi-hit games.
- Henseler and Royo each homered twice.
- Harrison, Henseler, Kent, Royo, Schott and Sorrell each logged multiple RBI in the win.
- Henseler and LaViolette crossed the plate a game-high three times each.
- Harrison, Kent, Royo and Sorrell each scored twice in the win.
- Harrison and Kent each drew two walks on the night.
- Kaiden Wilson pitched the final two innings, allowing three runs to go along with four strikeouts.
- In total, Patton and Wilson combined for 11 strikeouts on the night.
Notes
- The series win marked the program’s first over a No. 1 team since taking two of three against Nebraska in 2001.
- The road series victory over a No. 1 team marked the first in program history.
- The doubleheader marked the 26th and 27th meetings all-time between the two clubs.
- With the doubleheader sweep, the Aggies lead the series 14-13.
- Texas A&M’s seven home runs matched the program record for a single game, tying the 1998 and 1978 squads.
- Henseler logged his sixth multi-hit game of the year and a season-best five RBI.
- The Emmaus, Pennsylvania, native has now reached base safely in 14 straight.
- The multi-homer game was the first of Henseler’s Texas A&M career.
- Sorrell has now registered back-to-back multi-hit contests.
- Royo recorded the first multi-homer game of his career.
- Harrison has homered seven times in the last 12 games.
- The sophomore has also reached base safely in 12 straight contests.
- Kiel collected his team-best 13th multi-hit game of the year.
- LaViolette recorded his ninth multi-hit game of the season.
Up Next
Texas A&M remains on the road as they travel to face Sam Houston in midweek action Tuesday night at 6 p.m. from Don Sanders Stadium.