Aggies Drop a Series for First Time in 2015

Sunday, April 19

College Station

3:00 PM

Texas A&M

35-5, 12-5

Arkansas

24-17, 9-9

Arkansas

Texas A&M

Apr 19, 2015 | Baseball

Box Score

By: Texas A&M Athletics

COLLEGE STATION – The No. 1 Texas A&M Aggies gave up six runs in the inning Sunday afternoon and were unable to recover, dropping a rubber match against the Arkansas Razorbacks, 8-2, on Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.

The game was confined to seven-innings due to SEC weather and travel rules pertaining to games on the last day of a series which follow the resumption of a suspended game. Earlier in the day, A&M dropped a 9-8 decision in a game that carried over from Saturday night.

The Razorbacks needed just two batters to grab the lead. Clark Eagan reached base to start the game when A&M second baseman Ryne Birk was unable to glove a pop fly behind the mound. Joe Serrano knocked in Eagan with a gapper to right-center, staking Arkansas (24-17, 9-9 SEC) to a 1-0 lead.

Following Serrano's double the area lightning warning beacon went off, starting a 2-hour, 6-minute weather delay.

When the teams returned to the field, Arkansas' offense continued to churn. Andrew Benintendi drew a six-pitch walk and Tyler Spoon placed a perfect bunt down the third base line to load the bases. Luke Bonfield knocked in a pair of runs with a single to leftfield to inflate the cushion to 3-0. After Bobby Wernes pushed two runners into scoring position with a sacrifice bunt, Brett McAfee bounced a single up the middle to knock in two more runs and drive A&M starter Matt Kent from the contest. Michael Bernal greeted Aggie reliever Andrew Vinson rudely, doubling down the leftfield to knock McAfee in for the 6-0 lead. Vinson prevented further damage in the frame with a strikeout and grounder to first.

In the bottom of the second, Texas A&M (35-5, 12-5 SEC) brewed up a rally that didn't reach its full potential. With one out, Hunter Melton reached on an infield single and Birk and Ronnie Gideon drew walks to load the bases. JB Moss put a jolt in a first-pitch offering, but a shifting northwest wind kept the ball in the yard with leftfielder Serrano catching the ball three feet in front of the leftfield wall. Melton came home to score on the sacrifice bunt, trimming the lead to 6-1. The Aggies were unable to manufacture more runs in the frame as Michael Barash grounded out to short.

Spoon drove in the Razorbacks' other two runs. He plated a run with a sacrifice fly in the fourth and tallied an RBI single in the sixth to give Arkansas an 8-1 lead.

The Aggies had another rally come up short of potential in the sixth. With one out, Melton and Birk poked back-to-back singles into centerfield and Gideon was issued a base on balls to load the bags with Ags. Moss chipped a single into shallow rightfield to plate Melton, cutting the Razorbacks advantage to 8-2. The Maroon and White left the bases loaded as Barash popped up to third base and Allemand struck out looking.

A&M got two aboard in their last at bat as Logan Taylor and Melton drew two-out walks, starting the seventh, but Birk struck out swinging to end the game.

Kent (6-1) suffered his first loss of the season. He allowed six runs, five earned, on four hits and one walk in 0.1 innings. Vinson was solid in relief, allowing one run on four hits and one walk while striking out five in 4.2 innings.

Only four Aggies managed hits on the day with Nick Banks, Melton and Birk accounting for two apiece. Melton scored A&M's only two runs with Moss notching both RBI.

Benintendi led the Arkansas attack, going 2-for-2 with two walks, two stolen bases and two runs.

Keaton McKinney (3-1) picked up the win. He yielded two runs on seven hits and four walks while striking out three in 5.1 innings.

Texas A&M was doomed by the inability to get the leadoff man aboard (0-for-7) and the inability to hit with runners in scoring position (1-for-7).

The Aggies return to action Tuesday as the host the UT Arlington Mavericks in a 2:05 pm matinee on Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.