Texas A&M
21-0, 3-0
Auburn
13-7, 0-3
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auburn | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| Texas A&M | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | X | 6 | 12 | 0 |
A&M Sweeps Auburn to Improve to 21-0
Mar 15, 2015 | Baseball
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas A&M Aggies extended their season opening win streak to 21 on Sunday afternoon with a 6-1 win over the Auburn Tigers on Blue Bell Park at Olsen Field.
A four-run sixth and hits from every A&M starter, helped the Aggies complete the sweep, and open up SEC play 3-0. Freshman Turner Larkins (2-0) dominated in his first weekend start as an Aggie and would only surrender one run. Larkins pitched a career high 6.1 innings and struck out seven.
Auburn (13-7, 0-3) tallied the first runs of the game just as they had done in the first two contests. To open up the fifth, Sam Gillikin took Larkins yard over the right field wall. The homer was his first of the season and gave Auburn an early 1-0 lead. This would be the only time a Tigers' base runner would make it to past first in the entire game.
Auburn's starter pitcher, Trey Wingenter (1-1), was lights out in the first five innings only allowing one A&M hit. But, he wound up losing the game thanks to the Aggie fifth inning rally that plated four. JB Moss and Blake Allemand started the inning with singles. Then, with runners on the corners, Ryne Birk evened the score with a single of his own. A&M took the 3-1 lead on a Mitchell Nau single to right but Nau was nabbed trying to stretch it into a double. Nick Banks chased Wingenter from the game with a single and crossed the plate on Taylor's double, giving the Aggies six consecutive hits and a 4-1 lead. Hunter Melton struck out and Banks was thrown out trying to move to third on a would-be wild pitch to end the Aggie rally.
The Aggies added insurance to the lead with a two run eighth. The two-out rally started with a single from Melton and Ronnie Gideon. Michael Barash racked a two-run double that gave the A&M a 6-1 lead. Barash's single also gave every single starter in the A&M order a hit, the first time they've achieved the feat in 2015.
The bullpen combination of Ty Schlottmann, Andrew Vinson, and Mark Ecker kept Auburn off the board in their 2.2 innings of solid relief work. They allowed only one hit and struck out four Tigers. Ecker worked the ninth closing the door on the Tigers and giving the Aggies their third conference sweep since joining the SEC.
The Maroon and White lineup, which had one hit in the first five innings, tallied 11 in the final three frames of the game. Gideon played his part going 3-for-4 with a run scored. Allemand found his way on three times in the game, giving him at least two times on base in each of the last six games.
The Aggies are back in action at Blue Bell Park against Prairie View A&M on Tuesday at 6:30. It will be the last game before heading to play Alabama in their first true road series of the season.
TEXAS A&M QUOTES…
Head coach Rob Childress
On the win…
“I'm very proud of Turner Larkins. I thought he was fantastic today, exactly what we needed. And to get that out of a freshman is even more special. Their guy was a big tall 6' 7'' guy, throwing downhill with heavy sink. We had trouble finding the barrel and finally in the sixth inning we put some great at-bats together. We lead off with a single, we go first and third on a hit and run, and were able to score four runs that inning. There again in the eighth inning, their closer is one pitch away from getting off the field and a couple of two-strike competitive at-bats and Michael Barash gets the big double. We were able to extend the lead and take the life out of things.”
On setting a tone with a winning SEC sweep…
“We always talk about Sunday being championship Sunday. Across the country everyone is playing for something. Whether it's a sweep, avoid getting swept or to win a series. It's very important that you're able to come out and play well on Sundays. I was proud our group was ready to go.”
On support from the 12th Man...
“I'm so thankful for the 12th Man. You talk about the electricity from the first pitch on Friday night to the last pitch today. I couldn't be more grateful for the crowd we have. A lot of the time you hold your breath on spring break weekend, that you may not have great crowds. But they were electric and definitely made an impact during the series.”
Freshman starting Turner Larkins
On his first weekend start…
“It is pretty exciting, it was a team win though and I did the best I could up there. Our hitting was great. We are just a good team; we are not 21-0 by accident. We play for each other and that is why we are so good.”
On keeping composure after giving up the solo home run in the fourth inning...
“I made a bad pitch and the guy took advantage of it. I realize that will happen sometimes and I just have to refocus and get back in it.”
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Larkins, Turner (2-0)
L: Wingenter, Trey (1-1)
Batting:
HR: Gillikin, Sam 1
RBI: Gillikin, Sam 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Gillikin, Sam 1
CS: Deese, Kyler 1
HBP: Deese, Kyler 1
Batting:
2B: Taylor, Logan 1 ; Barash, Michael 1
RBI: Birk, Ryne 1 ; Nau, Mitchell 2 ; Taylor, Logan 1 ; Barash, Michael 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Allemand, Blake 1 ; Birk, Ryne 1 ; Banks, Nick 1 ; Melton, Hunter 1 ; Gideon, Ronnie 1 ; Moss, J.B. 1
