Another bullpen catastrophe saddles A&M with 6-5 loss in Frisco finale

Game #11: Wichita State 6, Texas A&M 5
Records: Texas A&M (7-4, 0-0), Wichita State (5-7, 0-0)
WP: Connor Holden (1-0)
LP: Robert Hogan (0-1)
Box Score

Same story, different ballpark.

Texas A&M's bullpen coughed up another lead in the late innings as the Aggies dropped the finale of the Frisco Classic to Wichita State, 6-5. Aggie relievers allowed runs in each of the Shockers' final three at-bats to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

"It's two Sundays in a row that the bullpen fails us," Texas A&M head coach Jim Schlossnagle said. "It all goes together."

Tied 5-5 in the eighth, Robert Hogan lacked command and issued a leadoff walk to Couper Cornblum. Two wild pitches later, the go-ahead run stood 90 feet away.

"He threw more balls to the backstop than he did to the catcher's mitt," Schlossnagle said of Hogan. "Obviously, he didn't have command of his fastball."

And go-ahead they did.

With one out, Jack Sigrist lined out to a diving Brett Minnich in right field, allowing Cornblum to put Wichita State ahead for good.

The Aggie bullpen botched what was once a 4-0 advantage behind starter Ryan Prager.

The Maroon & White jumped out to an early lead on a Troy Claunch RBI double with two outs in the first. Ryan Targac jumped the yard in the second with a two-run shot before Moss tacked on another in the fifth with a sacrifice fly.

Prager lowered his ERA to 1.29 on the season before an elevated pitch count chased the freshman after four scoreless innings. The Aggie starter allowed just two hits, struck out seven and walked one.

"I thought Prager battled through," Schlossnagle said. "It definitely wasn't his best start."

Wichita State cracked the scoreboard in the sixth when Cornblum doubled off Brad Rudis to drive in Chuck Ingram. The Shockers added another before Kalae Harrison and Targac rolled an inning-ending double play to preserve the 4-2 advantage.

The collapse hit in the seventh.

After getting two outs on three pitches, Joseph Menefee issued an eight-pitch walk to Xavier Casserilla before Ingram doubled home a run.

"We gave up free bases," Schlossnagle lamented. "We just gave them baserunners, and they capitalized."

On the very next pitch, Payton Tolle crushed a two-run home run into the right-field lazy river to put the Shockers ahead.

Frisco Classic

Ryan Targac piloted A&M’s efforts at the plate, scoring two runs on one hit and driving in a pair.

"[Menefee] threw strikes. He just didn't have a whole lot on the baseball," Schlossnagle said.

Still, the Aggies responded.

Hitting in place of Harrison, Dylan Rock lined a pinch-hit single to left with two outs to knot the score at 5-5. Harrison was 1-for-9 on the weekend.

The Rock single was A&M's only hit with runners in scoring position on the night as the Aggies were 0-for-9 prior.

Unfortunately, any momentum gained by Rock's momentary heroics was short-lived.

It is the second consecutive Sunday in which the Aggie bullpen has flushed away a win.

"I need the older voices to pitch. I don't need them to talk. I need them to pitch well," Schlossnagle said. "Guys that are sitting down there and have been around for a while and been in a college game need to pitch better than Brad Rudis and Chris Cortez.

"It would be nice if somebody else gave us something."

After a frustrating weekend in Frisco, the Maroon & White will return to the friendly confines of Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park on Tuesday night to host Tarleton.