Texas A&M drops opener at Vanderbilt to remain winless in SEC action

Game #21: No. 22 Vanderbilt 5, Texas A&M 3
Records: Texas A&M (11-10, 0-4), Vanderbilt (17-5, 2-2)
WP: Alex Kranzler (2-0)
LP: Ryan Prager (2-1)
Save: Sawyer Hawks (2)
Box Score

Texas A&M is now 0-4 in SEC play after dropping Thursday's series-opener at No. 22 Vanderbilt, 5-3.

The Aggies registered just five total hits and struck out 16 times as the scuffling offense was held in check by a trio of Commodore righties.

In his first Vanderbilt start, Connor Fennell fanned eight across 3.2 innings. Previously, the Dayton transfer had tossed just 5.2 total frames in five relief appearances.

The only damage against Fennell was Jace LaViolette's record-tying two-run home run in the first that staked A&M to a short-lived 2-0 lead.

That LaViolette shot pulled him even with Daylan Holt in the Aggie record books with 56 career homers.

Beyond Fennell, Alex Kranzler allowed just one unearned run in 1.1 innings, and Sawyer Hawks earned a four-inning save.

Will Huffman, TexAgs

Ryan Prager fanned four Commodores in seven innings of work, despite earning his first loss of the season. 

Striking out six, Hawks retired the final 11 Aggies he faced as the offense remained punchless when trailing late in games.

Like last week, A&M ace Ryan Prager was far from sharp but gutted his way through seven innings while scattering nine hits. The lefty allowed four earned runs and five total.

The biggest blow was Jacob Humphrey's three-run home run in the bottom of the third.

An inning later, Mac Rose drove in Riley Nelson to make it 4-3, and Prager also allowed an unearned run in the sixth.

LaViolette finished 2-for-3 with the home run, a double and a walk, while Wyatt Henseler went 1-for-2 and scored twice, adding A&M's only other run in the fifth.

Hayden Schott was the only other Aggie to register a hit, going 2-for-4.

Beyond that trio, the rest of the offense went 0-for-23.

A&M was 0-for-5 with men in scoring position, while the Commodores were 3-for-9.

Through four conference games, the Aggies are averaging an anemic 2.25 runs per contest.

An uptick in production will surely be required when the series continues on Friday at 6 p.m. CT.