Lacy, DeLoach shine for Texas A&M as the Aggies beat Army, 12-3

Game #6: No. 20 Texas A&M 12, Army 3
Record: Texas A&M (6-0), Army (1-3)
WP: Asa Lacy (2-0)
LP: Robbie Buecker (0-1)
Box Score

A dazzling night for both ‘The Ace’ and ‘The ‘Chise’.

Behind masterful pitching from Asa Lacy and the big bat of Zach DeLoach, No. 20 Texas A&M defeated Army 12-3 in the opening contest of the three-game weekend set at Olsen Field. Lacy punched out 14 Black Knights, while DeLoach mashed a pair of home runs. The Aggies blew the doors off late, scoring eight runs in their final three at-bats.

“People will look at the boxscore tomorrow and not realize what a dogfight it was on Friday night,” said A&M head coach Rob Childress. “Our guys did a wonderful job.”

In addition to Lacy’s career-high 14 strikeouts, the Texas A&M pitching staff — with Chris Weber and Mason Ornelas appearing out of the bullpen — sent a total of 22 Army hitters on the short walk back to the visiting dugout, setting a new school record for strikeouts in a single game, surpassing Jeff Granger’s 1993 complete-game gem against Lubbock Christian in which he struck out 21 by himself.

“I didn’t realize it at the time. I think after about the 7^th inning, [Chandler Jozwiak] told me on the pitching charts that we do, so that was pretty cool,” said Lacy on his personal-best strikeout performance.

The A&M ace got off to a rocky start, needing 30 pitches to get through his first inning of work in which Lacy gave up his lone run. However, in the bottom half of the frame, the Aggies would strike back for four runs of their own, punctuated by Zach DeLoach’s three-run blast.

“Really, I can’t thank the offense enough for kind of bailing me out after giving up a run in the first inning,” Lacy said. “They come back with a four-spot. That really makes my job a lot easier.” 

Lacy would finish his night after five innings, allowing just the one run on four hits and picking up his second win of the season in the process.

DeLoach’s homer would not be his only round-tripper of the night. In the 8^th inning, the junior would again leave the yard with a two-run shot to right. DeLoach now has four home runs and is hitting a red-hot .706 through six games.

Angelina Alcantar, TexAgs

Zach DeLoach connects with the first of two home runs on the night.

“I just keep at it,” said DeLoach. “I don’t think anything has changed as far as preparation.”

Following the first inning, the score remained 4-1 until the bottom half of the 6^th inning when the Aggies tacked on five more runs, taking advantage of an error on what could have been a home-to-first double play. A&M would add another in the 7^th after Army appeared to have Ty Coleman picked off second base, but the quick-thinking Ray Alejo took off for the plate, narrowly beating the throw to make it 10-3.

“(Coach Caillet) just lets us play free,” said Alejo. “He gives us the keys to the car like he says all the time.”

Army later cut into the A&M lead on a moon-shot two-run home run off the bat of pinch-hitter John McKenna in the 8^th to make it 10-3, but DeLoach would answer back with a two-run homer of his own in the bottom half of the inning to finish out the scoring.

The Aggies and Black Knights will continue the series on Saturday afternoon with game two slated for a 2:02 p.m. start at Olsen Field. Christian Roa will be on the mound for the Ags coming off a six-inning, 12-strikeout performance his last time out.