Series Headed to Rubber Match after Friday Loss

OXFORD, Mississippi – The No. 11 Texas A&M Aggies found themselves playing catch-up after the third inning and dropped a14-6 contest to the Ole Miss Rebels at Swayze Field, setting up a rubber match in Saturday's regular-season finale.
 
For the second straight night, the Aggies pounced on the Rebels for three runs in the first. This time Austin Bost plated a run with a single and Troy Claunch followed with a two-run single to thrust the Maroon & White into the lead.
 
Ole Miss responded with a run in the home half of the first and tacked on scores in each of the next four frames to take an 11-5 lead after five innings.
 
The Aggies logged eight hits, seven walks and a hit batsmen, but the offense was unable to reach full potential due to just one of nine leadoff batters reaching base.
 
The Maroon & White head into the finale tied with Arkansas atop the SEC West standings with an 18-11 mark. The Aggies own the tie breaker with the Razorbacks who play their final game of the regular season Saturday afternoon at Alabama in a game that starts 30 minutes before the A&M-Ole Miss tilt.
 
TOP AGGIE PERFORMERS
Austin Bost – 1-for-2, 3 BB, 2 R, 1 RBI
Brett Minnich – 2-for-4, 1 2B, 1 R, 1 RBI
Jordan Thompson – 2-for-4, 1 2B, 1 RBI
 
GAME SUMMARY
T1| With one out, Jack Moss singled to leftfield and Dylan Rock drew a walk. Austin Bost threaded a single through the left side for single. With two outs, a double steal by Bost and Rock put two runners in scoring positon and Troy Claunched plated both with a single to rightfield. A&M 3, UM 0
 
B1| Justin Bench gapped a leadoff double to right center and a single to center by Jacob Gonzalez runners on the corners. Tim Elko plated Bench with a sacrifice fly to rightfield. A&M 3, UM 1
 
B2| Hayden Leatherwood stroked a one-out double down the rightfield line and he came around to score on a Hayyden Dunhurst single. Two wild pitches put Dunhurst and he scored on a two-out single by TJ McCants. A&M 3, UM 3
 
B3| Elko worked a one-out walk and Kevin Graham bounced a single up the middle to put runners on the corners. Aggie shortstop Kole Kaler misplayed a ball to short that was registered as a double, sending both runners home. UM 5, A&M 3
 
B4| Peyton Chatagnier poked a leadoff single to leftfield and he moved to second on a one-out wild pitch. A fielding error at third base on a grounder by Bench put two runners in scoring position. Gonzalez knocked in Chatagnier with a single to right-center. After an Elko walk, Graham knocked in two runs with a single to rightfield. UM 8, A&M 3
 
T5| Bost was issued a base on balls to start the frame and Minnich double down the rightfield line. With one out, Ryan Targac pushed Bost across with a grounder to second base and Jordan Thompson threaded a double between the third baseman and the leftfield line to push Minnich across. UM 8, A&M 5
 
B5| Dunhurst worked a leadoff walk and Chatagnier was hit by a pitch. A bunt single by McCants loaded the bases. Bench bounced a single through the left side to knock in two runs. Kent Graham fouled off seven two-strike pitches before slapping a single through the right side, driving in McCants. UM 11 A&M 5
 
T6| Rock and Bost drew two-out walks and Minnich singled to centerfield to knock in Rock. UM 11, A&M 6
 
B7| Gonzales stroked a leadoff home run to rightfield. Elok drew a walk and with one out, Alderman homered to right-center. UM 14, A&M 6
 
UP NEXT
The Aggies and Rebels meet in the rubber match Saturday with a 1:32 contest at Swayze Field.
 
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