True to form: A&M rides bullpen and clutch hits to 7-4 win over Mizzou

GAME #27: Texas A&M 7, Missouri 4
RECORDS: Texas A&M 26-1 (6-1); Missouri 19-8 (5-2)
WP: Andrew Vinson (3-0)
LP: Reggie McClain (4-1)
Box score: Link

---

A&M may not have the undefeated record they had the last time they played at Olsen.

But, In front of the largest crowd in Blue Bell Park history of 7,391, they showed they still have a lineup with a knack for clutch hits and a bullpen that can stop any rally.

In Friday’s 7-4 victory over Missouri that was all that mattered.

After opening the third inning with his third strikeout of the game, Grayson Long would soon find himself in an early jam.

A grounder directly at Blake Allemand hopped into his chest and the ensuing error allowed Missouri to get a runner on first. A hit batter, meeting on the mound and a four pitch walk later, the bases were loaded.

Long quickly regrouped and was able to get Missouri’s Trey Harris to chase a pitch in the dirt for the second out of the inning. A fly out to left on the very next pitch ended the Tiger threat and kept the game deadlocked at 0-0.

The Aggies struggled to string together hits until the bottom of the fourth inning. Following a quick fly out to center by Mitchell Nau, Nick Banks plastered a stand up double off the left field wall. He came around to give A&M its first lead after Logan Taylor blistered a single back up the middle and into center field.

A lead is a lead, but A&M let a possible opportunity to put the Tigers in a multiple run hole slip away later in the inning.

Ronnie Gideon turned on a pitch and ripped it through the left side of the infield to put Aggies on first and second with one out. With Hunter Melton at the plate, Logan Taylor got caught off second base and the inning ended when Melton struck out.

If the premature ending to the fourth inning stuck with the Aggie lineup, you couldn’t tell in their next at bat.

Michael Barash got things started in the fifth when his swinging bunt was misplayed at first, giving A&M a lead off runner. The Ags would get another man aboard after J.B. Moss was pegged trying to lay down a sacrifice bunt. Both runners advanced 90 feet after Blake Allemand laid down a gem of a sacrifice.

Another hit batter, this one Ryne Birk, loaded the bases for Mitchell Nau. He took full advantage by bringing home two teammates with a single that was blasted through the left side of the infield. With a 3-0 lead, A&M was rolling, but made a thoughtless base running error for the second inning in a row.

Ryne Birk took the turn at second much bigger than he should have and was consequently caught between bases. Much like the inning before it, the fifth ended on the next batter when Nick Banks struck out swinging.

Missouri opened the fifth with three straight singles to load the bases. This time, Long would not see his way through it as Childress went to Ty Schlottmann in the bullpen. Ty lasted through two singles, both scoring runs, before being replaced by Andrew Vinson.

The second man out of the bullpen only allowed one more run to score after forcing a double play and striking out a Tiger to limit the damage. That felt like the most important moment of the game for the Aggie squad, Head coach Rob Childress agreed.

“They were huge outs. We finally grabbed the lead and just like that, three singles and the bases are loaded with nobody out.” He said of the Tigers big fifth inning. “They got to Schlottmann for a few hits and then they have a chance for a really big inning. Vinson comes in and gets the double play and the punch out to keep us tied. Just like our team has all year, we responded back immediately in the bottom of the sixth.”

That response started with a stand up double from Ronnie Gideon, who smoked a ball down the left field line. He would come around to give A&M back the lead after Hunter Melton smashed one back where it came from and through to center field. After Melton took second on a wild pitch, Michael Barash finished off the scoring in the sixth with an RBI single to left.

“We came up in the sixth like it was a new ball game.” Said third baseman Hunter Melton on his squad’s relentless approach. “Ronnie got a big hit. I followed him with a big hit and we just took off from there.”

The Ags would tack on two more runs in the eighth and the offense deserves praise for continuing to pound the baseball, but the clutch performance of Andrew Vinson stole the show and allowed A&M to pick up a series opening victory.

“It is huge, especially being at home, to answer the bell in the first game.” Said coach Childress. “We’ve got our hands full again tomorrow with a great starter for them and they’ll face another one in Simonds for us. It should another heavy weight fight.”