A&M Suffers First Loss of the Season

Saturday, March 21

Hoover, AL

Game 2

Texas A&M

24-1, 5-1

Alabama

13-9, 3-3

Texas A&M

Alabama

Mar 21, 2015 | Baseball

Box Score

By: Texas A&M Athletics

HOOVER, Alabama – With an SEC record 24-game win streak and a series win over Alabama already in hand, the No. 4 Texas A&M Aggies were unable to complete the sweep of the Crimson Tide, dropping a 6-2 decision in the second game of Saturday's doubleheader at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium.

The Aggies fell two wins shy of equaling the school record win streak set by the 1989 squad that started 26-0 en route to a 58-7 campaign. The win was the 24th in a row for the Aggies, breaking the SEC record of 23 set by LSU in 2008. It is just the sixth win streak of 20 or more games in SEC history.

One thing the Aggies avoided for most of the win streak doomed them early in the loss – the big inning by an opponent. A&M had only allowed four runs in an inning one time in 2015 and in that game, A&M had two four-run innings of their own. In the night cap, Alabama put up four runs in the bottom of the first and the Aggies were unable to dig out of the whole.

The Tide's first-inning rally was started with one out. Georgie Salem doubled to the wall in centerfield and Mikey White followed with a single to rightfield to put runners on the corners. Casey Hughston broke the scoring seal with a fielder's choice grounder to second, plating Salem. Kyle Overstreet drew a walk to put two runners on and both scored when Chance Vincent tripled down the rightfield line. Will Haynie would be the last batter Aggie starter Turner Larkins would face as he drove in Vincent with a double to leftfield. Ty Schlottmann came out of the bullpen and induced a groundout, but the damage had been done and Alabama led 4-0.

The Maroon and White mounted a rally in the second. Nick Banks hit a leadoff single and an error on a grounder to short by Logan Taylor put two runners on. Hunter Melton drew a walk to load the bases and Blake Kopetsky singled to leftfield to knock in Banks, cutting the lead to 4-1. With the bases still loaded and no outs, GR Hinsley hit a hard grounder that was barely snared by Alabama starting pitcher Geoffrey Bramblett, who started the 1-2-3 double play. With two runners still in scoring position, Michael Barash flied out to right to end the inning.

The Aggies clipped another run off the advantage in the third. With one out, Mitchell Nau stroked a single to leftfield and Banks followed with a walk. Logan Taylor singled to centerfield to plate Nau, deflating the cushion to 4-2. A throwing error by the centerfielder put two runners in scoring position for Hunter Melton, but he grounded out to third base to end the inning.

Texas A&M (24-1, 5-1 SEC) trimmed a run off the lead in the top of the fourth inning. Nau started the frame by threading a single through the right side of the infield and Banks followed by bouncing a single through the left side. Taylor pushed both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt and Ronnie Gideon knocked in Nau with a sacrifice fly to centerfield.

The Aggies missed out on opportunities to claw back into the contest, stranding runners in scoring position in innings five, six and seven.

The Crimson Tide dimmed the Aggies' hopes by putting up two runs in the bottom of the eighth. Kyle Overstreet greeted Mark Ecker out of the bullpen with a double to right centerfield and an error by Allemand at short on a grounder by Vincent gave Alabama two runners in scoring position. Ecker walked Haynie, but fanned Daniel Cucjen and Riley Colburn to get on the cusp of escape. He got ahead on Avant, 1-2, but the Alabama third baseman tight-roped a ball down the rightfield line for a two-run double, giving the Tide a 6-2 advantage.

Turner Larkins (2-1) was saddled with the loss for the Aggies. The freshman was roughed up for four runs on four hits and one walk while striking out one in 0.2 innings. The A&M bullpen combined to allow just two unearned runs in 7.1 innings of work. Jason Freeman worked 3.0 scoreless innings, scattering one hit and one walk while striking out three. Andrew Vinson retired all six batters he faced with one strikeout.

Bramblett (4-1) earned the win for Alabama. He allowed two runs, one earned, on seven hits and three walks while striking out three over 7.0 innings. Ray Castillo earned his third save of the season, retiring six of the seven batters he faced with two strikeouts.

Banks led A&M's offense going 2-for-3 with one run, one walk and one double. Seven of the nine Aggie starters got hits, but the Maroon and White were unable to produce a multiple-run inning.

Avant keyed the Tide offense going 3-for-5 with one double and two RBI.

The Aggies return to action Tuesday when they travel to San Antonio for a 7 pm game against the UTSA Roadrunners at Wolff Stadium.