Rebels Even Series with Aggies

BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas A&M Aggies pounded out 13 hits but were plagued by a litany of free passes in a 14-7 loss to the Ole Miss Rebels on Saturday night on Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.

Texas A&M (16-11, 2-6 SEC) got three-hit performances from each of its first three hitters in the lineup – Hunter Haas, Jack Moss and Austin Bost – but the Rebels (16-10, 1-7 SEC) took full advantage of 11 walks by the Aggie pitching staff, getting eight of those runners around for runs.

The Aggies scored four times in the first two innings and had a 4-2 advantage before Ole Miss erupted for five runs in a breakthrough fourth inning. The Aggies answered with a run, but three more two-out scores by the Rebels upped the lead to 10-5 and reliever Brayden Jones did yeoman’s work out of the bullpen, tossing 3.0 scoreless innings to earn his first win of the year.

Justin Lamkin fell to 1-3 with the loss, allowing six runs in just 3.0 innings of work. He struck out four and reliever Brandyn Garcia also had five strikeouts.

TOP AGGIE PERFORMERS

Hunter Haas – 3-for-5, 2B, RBI, R

Jack Moss – 3-for-5, 2B, 2 RBI, R

Austin Bost – 3-for-6, 2B, 2 RBI

Jordan Thompson – 2-for-3, 3 R, 2 2B, 2 BB

GAME SUMMARY

B1| TAMU 2, OM 0

After Lamkin worked around a two-out double in the top of the first, the Aggies got going in a hurry with three straight doubles to start the night offensively. Hunter Haas got it going, just missing a homer off the top of the left-center field wall and Jack Moss followed with a two-bagger into the right-center gap. Austin Bost then brought both home with a hard double inside the third-base bag to get the Ags in front 2-0 before Ole Miss starter Xavier Rivas struck out each of the next three hitters he faced.

T2| TAMU 2, OM 2

The Rebels tied things up in a loud way in the top of the second, getting a man on when Peyton Chatagnier walked with one down. Two batters later Reagan Burford, who was making only his seventh start of the year, blasted a two-run homer out to left field to knot it up.

B2| TAMU 4, OM 2

The tie game was short-lived, however, as Texas A&M immediately responded. The Ags got consecutive walks from Ryan Targac and Jordan Thompson with both quickly moving into scoring position on a double steal. Max Kaufer then picked up an RBI with a sac fly to deep center field and Haas followed with an RBI single to center field to push the lead to 4-2.

T4| OM 7, TAMU 4

The Rebel bats got going again in the fourth with Will Furniss and Burford each reaching to open the frame. TJ McCants then tied it up at 4-4 with a two-run single to shallow right-center field. A walk and a single followed to load the bases and Jacob Gonzalez put Ole Miss in front for the first time with a sacrifice fly to center field. But the Rebels were not done as an RBI single by Kemp Alderman tacked on another and Anthony Calarco made it 7-4 with a grounder that scored the fifth run of the frame.

B4| OM 7, TAMU 5

Again, the Aggies looked like they were going to respond in kind when Thompson and Kaufer each reached base to open the bottom of the fourth. Haas then got the crowd going when he looked to tie it up with a three-run homer over the left-field foul pole, but after a conference by the umpires the call was overturned. Haas followed by singling to center field to load the bases, but the Aggies were only able to plate one run on a sac fly by Jack Moss.

T5| OM 10, TAMU 5

Ole Miss got plenty of help from the Aggies to plate three more runs in the fifth, despite reliever Ty Sexton retiring each of the first two batters he faced. The Aggies then turned to Brandyn Garcia from the pen, but he walked Gonzalez to force in a run before Alderman blooped an 0-2 pitch into shallow right field that ended as a double which scored two more.

T8| OM 14, TAMU 5

Ole Miss tacked on to its lead with four runs in the inning, all with two outs. Burford got the first run home when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and TJ McCants followed that up by shooting a two-run single to left field. The Rebels got one more home on the bases with a double steal with McCants coming home.

T5| OM 14, TAMU 7

Texas A&M got a couple of runs back in its last time at the plate, the first coming when Jace LaViolette walked to open the inning and then swiped second and third base and came home on a throwing error by the Rebel catcher. Jordan Thompson followed with a double and came home three batters later on a sure single by Moss.

UP NEXT

The Aggies and Rebels conclude the series on Sunday with a 1:00 p.m. game at Blue Bell Park. The game will be aired on SEC Network+.

Copyright 2023 KBTX. All rights reserved.