COLLEGE STATION, Texas – After two days of waiting out the rain, the Texas A&M Aggies picked up where they left off with a 5-2 win over the Kentucky Wildcats in the first game of a Saturday doubleheader at Cliff Hagan Stadium. The game was seven innings due to SEC policy pertaining to doubleheaders on the last day of a series.
The Wildcats pounced on the Aggies for a run in the bottom of the first inning. With a 1-1 count, Kyle Barrett tripled down the rightfield line to start the frame. After Evan White popped up down the first base line for the first out of the inning, Ka'ai Tom was hit by a pitch to put runners at the corners. JaVon Shelby appeared to hit into an inning-ending 1-4-3 double play, but first baseman Hunter Melton was deemed to have pulled is foot off the base, allowing Barrett to score.
The Aggies claimed their first lead of the game in the top of the fourth. Mitchell Nau led off the inning with a single deep in the hole at shortstop and Nick Banks followed with a bunt single. After Logan Taylor pushed both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, Ronnie Gideon tied the game with a grounder to second, plating Nau. Moss staked A&M to a 2-1 lead, punching a soft liner to centerfield to send Banks home.
Texas A&M (29-2, 8-2 SEC) used the long ball to inflate the cushion to 5-1 in the top of the fifth. With one out, Michael Barash drew a six-pitch walk and Blake Allemand followed by launching a first-pitch offering off the top of the 25-foot Kentucky Baseball sign in rightfield for a two-run dinger. It was the second consecutive game with a home run for Allemand, who hit two home runs in his first 196 career games. Two batters later, Nau loft a first-pitch offering onto the party deck in right-centerfield for the 5-1 lead.
Kentucky (18-12, 4-6 SEC) mounted a late rally in the seventh. White threaded a double down the leftfield line to lead off the inning. With one out, Shelby singled to leftfield to put runners on the corners. Storm Wilson knocked in White with a sacrifice fly to centerfield to cut the Aggie advantage to 5-2. The game ended with Marcus Carson striking out swinging on a 1-2 pitch from Andrew Vinson.
Nau and Hunter Melton paced the Aggies with two hits apiece. Nau batted 2-for-4 with two runs, one home run and one RBI. Melton batted 2-for-3.
Grayson Long (6-0) earned the win for the Aggies. He worked 4.1 innings, allowing one run on six hits and three walks while striking out six. Vinson earned his first save of the season, allowing one run on three hits while striking out one in 2.2 innings.
Zack Brown (2-3) was saddled with the loss for the Wildcats. He yielded five runs on eight hits and four walks while striking out five in 7.0 innings.
Kentucky's Shelby led all hitters with three hits.
The second game of the doubleheader started at 3:16 pm Central.
Aggies Claim Twin Bill Opener, 5-2
After two days of waiting out the rain, the Texas A&M Aggies picked up where they left off with a 5-2 win over the Kentucky Wildcats in the first game of a Saturday doubleheader at Cliff Hagan Stadium.