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Aggies Drop Regular-Season Finale at Tennessee, 7-5
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - The
Texas A&M Aggies were unable to sustain a 5-1 lead and dropped a
7-5 decision to the Tennessee Volunteers in the regular-season finale
at Lindsey Nelson Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The
Aggies roughed up Volunteer starter Dalton Saberhagen from the get-go.
Mikey Reynolds legged out a double on a hit to the right centerfield
gap and Blake Allemand laced a single through the left side of the
infield to put runners on the corners. Cole Lankford launched a
first-pitch offering over the rightfield fence for his second home run
of the season and a 3-0 lead just three batters into the game.
Tennessee
(22-30, 8-20 SEC) bounced back to trim a run off the lead in the bottom
of the first inning. With one out, AJ Simcox singled to rightfield and
stole second base. A groundout by Will Maddox pushed Simcox to third
and he scored when Scott Price threaded a single through the right side
of the infield, cutting the lead to 3-1.
Texas A&M
(30-25, 13-16 SEC) claimed the run back in the top of the second when
Krey Bratsen launched a 1-2 pitch over the leftfield fence for a
lead-off home run, his first dinger of the season and the second of his
career.
The Aggies increased the advantage to 5-1 with a
run in the fourth. Daniel Mengden bounced a leadoff single up the
middle. With one out, Kratsen doubled down the rightfield line to put
two runners in scoring position. Jace Statum drew a walk to load the
bases and driving Saberhagen from the game. Allemand lined a ball off
the glove of reliever Eric Martin to plate Mengden for the four-run
lead.
The Volunteers trimmed two runs off the lead in
the bottom of the fourth. Price was the catalyst of the rally hitting a
leadoff single to the gap in right centerfield. Ethan Bennett followed
with a single to rightfield. A fielder's choice grounder by Christin
Stewart forced Bennett out at second and put runners on the corners.
Taylor Smart drove in Price with a double down the rightfield line.
After Jeff Moberg was hit by a pitch to load the bases, Parker Wormsley
smoked a ball to the hot corner where Hunter Melton made a heroic stab
to prevent a multi-run double. Melton got to his feet to make the
putout at third, but Stewart scored to cut the lead to 5-3.
Tennessee
claimed its first lead of the game in the seventh. Moberg and Wormsley
singled to start the inning and Zach Luther put down a sacrifice bunt
to push both runners into scoring position. Simcox tripled to the gap
in right centerfield to tie the score at 5-5 and scored the go-ahead
run on a single through the left side of the infield by Price.
The
Vols tacked on an insurance run in the eighth. Bennett was hit by a
pitch to start the inning and replaced at first by pinch-runner Heath
Loyd. Stewart followed with a five-pitch walk. A sacrifice bunt by
Smart pushed both runners into scoring position and Loyd scored on a
wild pitch, inflating the cushion to 7-5.
Bratsen paced
the Aggies offense hitting 3-for-4 with one double, one home run, one
run and one RBI. Allemand went 2-for-5 with one run and one RBI.
Price
led the Volunteers at the plate going 3-for-4 with one run and two RBI.
Simcox batted 2-for-4 with one triple, two runs, two RBI and one stolen
base.
Jason Freeman (1-2) was saddled with the loss,
yielding three runs on four hits in 1.1 innings of relief. Starter
Rafael Pineda worked 5.0 innings, allowing three runs on five hits and
one walk while striking out three over 5.0 innings.
Eric
Martin (1-0) picked up the win out of the bullpen for Tennessee. He
pitched 4.0 scoreless innings, scattering four hits while striking out
four. Trevor Charpie earned his second save of the season, with one
strikeout in 1.2 scoreless innings.
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