Aggies Outduel LSU in Series Opener, 2-1

Thursday, May 20

Bryan-College Station

6:00 PM

Texas A&M

29-25, 9-19

LSU

32-21, 11-17

LSU

Texas A&M

Photo by: Craig Bisacre/Texas A&M Athletics

May 20, 2021 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Ali Garcia, Texas A&M Athletics Communications

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS – Stellar pitching from Dustin Saenz and Chandler Jozwiak and an eighth-inning, game-winning solo home run by Will Frizzell propelled the Texas A&M Aggies to a 2-1 victory over the LSU Tigers in Thursday evening's series opener on Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.

Saenz (6-6) was spectacular on the mound to earn the win. The southpaw matched a career high with 8.0 innings, yielding one run on two hits and two walks while fanning eight. Saenz retired the first 10 Tigers of the game and worked with a no-hitter through 5.2 innings. Jozwiak got the call in the ninth inning and earned his eighth save of the season, retiring the final three Tigers in order.

The staff held the LSU offense to 0-for-4 with runners on, 0-for-4 with runners in scoring position and 0-for-9 in the leadoff position.

The Maroon & White broke the ice in the third, scoring one on a misplayed sacrifice bunt by Ray Alejo, but the Tigers retaliated with a solo home run in the sixth to knot things up at one. The Aggies ran into trouble in the top of the eighth, allowing the Tigers to get into a bases-loaded, two-out scenario, but Saenz shut the door with a huge strikeout looking.

Frizzell quickly grabbed ahold of the momentum in the home half of the eighth and launched the second pitch he saw over the fence in leftfield to seal the deal.

At the plate, Alejo, Kalae Harrison, and Frizzell caused most of the havoc. Alejo was 2-for-3 with two stolen bases, while Harrison was 1-for-3 with one double and one run scored. Frizzell recorded his 19^th home run of the season to move into fourth place on the Aggies' single-season chart. It marked his 30th career home run, tying him with Kyle Hawthorne for eighth on the Texas A&M all-time list.

The Maroon & White improved to 29-25 overall and 9-19 in conference play, while the Tigers dropped to 32-21 on the year and 11-17 in SEC play.

TOP AGGIE PERFORMERS
Ray Alejo – 2-for-3, 2 SB
Kalae Harrison – 1-for-2, 1 R, 1 2B
Will Frizzell – 2-for-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 BB
Dustin Saenz (W, 6-6) – 8.0 IP, 1 R, 1 ER, 2 H, 2 BB, 8 K
Chandler Jozwiak (S, 8) – 1.0 IP, 0 ER. 0 H, 0 BB, 0 K

GAME SUMMARY
B3 | Kalae Harrison got things started with a laced double into the left-centerfield gap. Harrison scored on a Ray Alejo sacrifice bunt that was dropped by the LSU second baseman at first. A&M 1, LSU 0.

T6| Dylan Crews homered to leftfield with two outs. A&M 1, LSU 1.

B8| Will Frizzell led off with a clutch go-ahead solo dinger off the leftfield scoreboard. A&M 2, LSU 1.

UP NEXT
The Aggie continue with conference play action against the LSU tomorrow with first pitch slated for 6:32 p.m.

TEXAS A&M QUOTES

Head Coach Rob Childress
On what he saw out of his team tonight…
"This is exactly what you want to see the first game of a series in the SEC. This was two great pitching staffs going at it and had some great defensive plays behind them. It came down to the timely hits on our part to force them into a state defensively. We cashed in early and our guy hit the big ball in the eighth inning to allow Dustin's [Saenz] great performance to stand up tonight. I couldn't be prouder of the way he pitched tonight, this was by far his best outing in the Maroon & White. Chandler [Jozwiak] was able to come in and finish things off in without any stress there in the ninth."

Senior 1B Will Frizzell
On Dustin Saenz's bases-loaded strikeout to get the Aggies out of the eighth…
"That was huge. Dustin threw well tonight. I mean, that is the best I have ever seen him throw, and we needed it. That was huge out of Dustin. He kept the momentum in our dugout the whole game. Never really let the LSU hitters get going, so that was the best I've ever seen him throw."