Sweep-seeking Aggies stymied by Tide in Saturday slugfest, 10-9

Game #40: No. 18 Alabama 10, No. 1 Texas A&M 9
Records: Texas A&M (35-5, 13-5), Alabama (25-15, 7-11)
WP: Alton Davis II (4-1)
LP: Kaiden Wilson (0-1)
Box Score

There are no polar bears in College Station this weekend.

If you're still getting familiar with the reference, look no further than the comments made by A&M head coach Jim Schlossnagle following the Aggies’ sweep of Auburn on March 31.

"They're just so rare," A&M head coach Jim Schlossnagle said after Ted Burton gave the Aggies its first conference sweep with a walk-off base hit against the Tigers. "It's like seeing a polar bear in College Station, man. A sweep in the SEC doesn't happen much."

Despite coming close to a third conference sweep, No. 1 Texas A&M dropped Saturday’s finale to No. 18 Alabama in a back-and-forth affair in Tuscaloosa, 10-9.

Though the outcome might not have been what the Aggies wanted, their resiliency was consistent with that shown all season.

After two innings, the nation's top-ranked team found themselves in a 5-0 hole.

Alabama catcher Mac Guscette launched his second grand slam of the series off starting pitcher Justin Lamkin before Ian Petrutz drove in another on a sacrifice fly.

However, one lesson that should have been learned by now is that no lead is safe against the A&M bats.

Zoe Kelton, TexAgs

Reigning SEC freshman of the week Gavin Grahovac notched RBI No. 49 of the season, driving in four runs on Saturday. 

Immediately following the Tide's five-run second, A&M began to chip away.

With a pair of runners on, Gavin Grahovac ripped a single through the left side to plate Caden Sorell, who reached on a one-out double.

After Grahovac's at-bat, Jace LaViolette's sacrifice fly scored Travis Chesnut as the Aggies shrunk the deficit to 5-2.

An inning later, Grahovac caused more damage as he cleared the bases with a double into the right-center gap, bringing the Aggies within a run.

Despite that resilience, Alabama seemed to answer the call every time.

Kade Snell kept the visitors in check with a solo shot in the fifth, extending the Tide's lead to 7-5.

But once again, the Maroon & White were far from finished.

Ali Camarillo, who was 6-for-14 on the weekend, led off the inning with a base hit before coming in to score on a triple from Chestnut.

Two batters later, LaViolette laced a waist-high fastball over the fence in right for his 20th homer of the season to give A&M an 8-7 lead.

However, that lead did not last long as Alabama third baseman Gage Miller knotted it up with a solo home run.

What happened next inning? The Aggies loaded the bases with one out before Sorrell gave the advantage back to his team with a sac fly. 

Looking back, A&M might wish to take better advantage of that bases-loaded one-out situation than scoring just one run.

Alton Davis II worked out of the jam and continued to work for the rest of the day.

The go-ahead and eventual winning run scored in the seventh as the Tide's nine-hole hitter Bryce Eblin drove in a pair of runs with a base hit to center field off freshman Kaiden Wilson.

Chris Cortez pitched the next 1.1 innings for the Ags, keeping them within striking distance. His effort nearly paid off when A&M got runners on the corners with no outs in the ninth, following a Burton walk and a Hayden Schott single.

Will Huffman, TexAgs

Chris Cortez has allowed just one earned run in his last 12 innings of work. 

Davis proceeded to retire the next three batters, forcing a foul-out from Camarillo, punching out pinch hitter Blake Binderup and working a pop-out from Chestnut, respectively.

Although no polar bears were to be seen, the Aggies can glean success from taking two-of-three on the road against the team that dethroned formerly No. 1 Arkansas last weekend.

They also became the first visiting club to win a series at “The Joe” in 2024.

However, they’ll likely have a bitter taste in their mouths, knowing the sweep was there for the taking.

A&M can wash away that bitterness on Tuesday when the Aggies host the Houston Cougars. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.