Wednesday, March 9
Bryan-College Station
6:30 PM
Texas A&M
8-4
4
vs
1
Tarleton
3-9
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5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Tarleton
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0
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1
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Texas A&M
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1
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1
1
0
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1
X
4
6
1
Photo by: Kate Luffman/Texas A&M Athletics
Bullpen Headlines Aggies' Win over Tarleton
Mar 09, 2022 | Baseball
BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas A&M bullpen retired 14 of the 15 batters it faced as the Aggies registered a 4-1 victory over the Tarleton Texans in Wednesday evening baseball action on Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.
Chris Cortez, Rawley Hector, Joseph Menefee and Robert Hogan combined for 4.2 hitless innings with the only runner reaching on a ninth-inning error.
Cortez (2-0) earned the win as he inherited a runner at third base with one out and a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning, got out of the jam unscathed and retired all three batters he faced in the sixth. The Las Vegas, Nevada, native ended the day with two strikeouts. Hector and Menefee squared off with three hitters in the seventh and eighth, respectively, with Menefee recording two strikeouts. Hogan fanned three of the four batters he faced to earn his second save of the season.
Khristian Curtis was solid in the start, allowing one run on seven hits while striking out seven in 4.1 innings.
Aggie pitchers combined on 14 strikeouts while not yielding a walk or hit batsman.
Kole Kaler paced Texas A&M (8-4) at the plate. He batted 2-for-3 with one run, one stolen base and one RBI. Logan Britt added a solo home run.
Tarleton (3-9) evened the game at 1-1 in the fourth, but the Aggies responded immediately with Britt's home run in the home half of the frame. Kaler scored on an error in the fifth and Brett Minnich scored on a stolen base and error in the eighth inning.
TOP AGGIE PERFORMERS
Chris Cortez – 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K – W 2-0
Robert Hogan – 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K – Sv 2
Kole Kaler – 2-for-3, 1 R, 1 SB, 1 RBI
GAME SUMMARY
B2 | Brett Minnich drew leadoff walk and stole second base. Taylor Smith and Ryan Targac followed with bases on balls to fill the bags with Ags. After two strikeouts, Kole Kaler drew a walk to push Minnich across. A&M 1, TAR 0
T4 | Carter Dobrinski threaded a leadoff single through the left side. With one, Colby Seltzer knocked in Dobrinski with a double down the leftfield line. A&M 1, TAR 1
B4 | With two outs, Logan Britt launched a solo home run to centerfield. A&M 2, TAR 1
B5 | Kaler poked a single to right field, stole second base and moved to third on a wild pitch. Austin Bost was hit by a pitch to put runners on the corner, Kaler scored on an errant pickoff throw at first. A&M 3, TAR 1
B8 | Minnich laced a leadoff single to left-center. He stole second base, moved to third when the throw from the catcher sailed right of the bag and motored home on a looping throw back into the infield. A&M 4, TAR 1
UP NEXT
The Aggies wrap up action at the Frisco College Baseball Classic on Sunday with a 6 p.m. contest against the Wichita State Shockers.
POSTGAME QUOTES
Head Coach Jim Schlossnagle
On the bullpen…
"(Chris) Cortez has been super consistent so that did not surprise me at all. It was good to get Rawley Hector out there and kind of change the look a little bit - just looking for some other options. I thought it was super important to get (Joseph) Moo (Menefee) and (Robert) Hogan back in the game. It did not go the way any of us wanted to on Sunday, and Menefee has been a big part of this program for a while. We're going to need him to be better and he worked on a few things yesterday with Coach Yeskie and put them into practice tonight. I just think Hogan needs time. Really the only thing we can do it keep running them out there. They did a nice job, and they need to do a nice job."
Freshman RHP Chris Cortez
On his fearlessness on the mound…
"I have always been like that and did not want to be known as the guy who threw balls. I know that with my ability I can throw strikes and I just changed my mindset and I just go in there and try to make people hit the ball. That is all I try to do."
Graduate third baseman Kole Kaler
On the role as the lead-off hitter…
"The goal as the lead-off hitter of the game is to see some pitches and get on base. Obviously, everybody wants to get a hit, I want to get hits too that does not change. Just sticking with the process and trying to stick with my routines and hopefully some will fall.
FOLLOW THE AGGIES
Visit 12thman.com for more information on Texas A&M baseball. Fans can keep up to date with the A&M baseball team on Facebook, Instagram, and on Twitter by following @AggieBaseball.
Chris Cortez, Rawley Hector, Joseph Menefee and Robert Hogan combined for 4.2 hitless innings with the only runner reaching on a ninth-inning error.
Cortez (2-0) earned the win as he inherited a runner at third base with one out and a 2-1 lead in the fifth inning, got out of the jam unscathed and retired all three batters he faced in the sixth. The Las Vegas, Nevada, native ended the day with two strikeouts. Hector and Menefee squared off with three hitters in the seventh and eighth, respectively, with Menefee recording two strikeouts. Hogan fanned three of the four batters he faced to earn his second save of the season.
Khristian Curtis was solid in the start, allowing one run on seven hits while striking out seven in 4.1 innings.
Aggie pitchers combined on 14 strikeouts while not yielding a walk or hit batsman.
Kole Kaler paced Texas A&M (8-4) at the plate. He batted 2-for-3 with one run, one stolen base and one RBI. Logan Britt added a solo home run.
Tarleton (3-9) evened the game at 1-1 in the fourth, but the Aggies responded immediately with Britt's home run in the home half of the frame. Kaler scored on an error in the fifth and Brett Minnich scored on a stolen base and error in the eighth inning.
TOP AGGIE PERFORMERS
Chris Cortez – 1.2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 2 K – W 2-0
Robert Hogan – 1.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 3 K – Sv 2
Kole Kaler – 2-for-3, 1 R, 1 SB, 1 RBI
GAME SUMMARY
B2 | Brett Minnich drew leadoff walk and stole second base. Taylor Smith and Ryan Targac followed with bases on balls to fill the bags with Ags. After two strikeouts, Kole Kaler drew a walk to push Minnich across. A&M 1, TAR 0
T4 | Carter Dobrinski threaded a leadoff single through the left side. With one, Colby Seltzer knocked in Dobrinski with a double down the leftfield line. A&M 1, TAR 1
B4 | With two outs, Logan Britt launched a solo home run to centerfield. A&M 2, TAR 1
B5 | Kaler poked a single to right field, stole second base and moved to third on a wild pitch. Austin Bost was hit by a pitch to put runners on the corner, Kaler scored on an errant pickoff throw at first. A&M 3, TAR 1
B8 | Minnich laced a leadoff single to left-center. He stole second base, moved to third when the throw from the catcher sailed right of the bag and motored home on a looping throw back into the infield. A&M 4, TAR 1
UP NEXT
The Aggies wrap up action at the Frisco College Baseball Classic on Sunday with a 6 p.m. contest against the Wichita State Shockers.
POSTGAME QUOTES
Head Coach Jim Schlossnagle
On the bullpen…
"(Chris) Cortez has been super consistent so that did not surprise me at all. It was good to get Rawley Hector out there and kind of change the look a little bit - just looking for some other options. I thought it was super important to get (Joseph) Moo (Menefee) and (Robert) Hogan back in the game. It did not go the way any of us wanted to on Sunday, and Menefee has been a big part of this program for a while. We're going to need him to be better and he worked on a few things yesterday with Coach Yeskie and put them into practice tonight. I just think Hogan needs time. Really the only thing we can do it keep running them out there. They did a nice job, and they need to do a nice job."
Freshman RHP Chris Cortez
On his fearlessness on the mound…
"I have always been like that and did not want to be known as the guy who threw balls. I know that with my ability I can throw strikes and I just changed my mindset and I just go in there and try to make people hit the ball. That is all I try to do."
Graduate third baseman Kole Kaler
On the role as the lead-off hitter…
"The goal as the lead-off hitter of the game is to see some pitches and get on base. Obviously, everybody wants to get a hit, I want to get hits too that does not change. Just sticking with the process and trying to stick with my routines and hopefully some will fall.
FOLLOW THE AGGIES
Visit 12thman.com for more information on Texas A&M baseball. Fans can keep up to date with the A&M baseball team on Facebook, Instagram, and on Twitter by following @AggieBaseball.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Cortez, Chris (2-0)
L: BOYD (0-1)
S: Hogan, Robert (2)
Batting:
2B: SELTZER 1 ; KROWKA 1
RBI: SELTZER 1
Base Running:
RUNS: DOBRINSKI 1
Batting:
HR: Britt, Logan 1
RBI: Kaler, Kole 1 ; Britt, Logan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Kaler, Kole 1 ; Minnich, Brett 2 ; Britt, Logan 1
SB: Kaler, Kole 1 ; Bost, Austin 1 ; Minnich, Brett 2
CS: Targac, Ryan 1
HBP: Bost, Austin 1
Game Leaders
AB
3
R
1
H
2
RBI
1
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
2
H
1
RBI
0
AB
3
R
0
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
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OF
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