A&M Drops Series Opener at Pepperdine, 7-5

Friday, February 26

Malibu, Calif.

4:00 PM

Texas A&M

5-1

Pepperdine

3-2

Texas A&M

Pepperdine

Photo by: Texas A&M Athletics

Feb 26, 2016 | Baseball

Box Score

MALIBU, California – The No. 4 Texas A&M Aggies let a four-run lead slip away and dropped a 7-5 decision to the Pepperdine Waves Friday afternoon at Eddy D. Field Stadium.

The Aggies pounced on the Waves for two runs in the top of the first. Boomer White punched the first pitch of the game into left-center for a single. White moved around to third when Pepperdine starter A.J. Puckett uncorked a pickoff attempt past the first baseman for a two-base error. J.B. Moss drew a walk and moved to second on a wild pitch to put two runners in scoring position. Ryne Birk plated White with a sacrifice fly and Hunter Melton knocked in Moss with a grounder to second to stake A&M to a 2-0 lead.

Nick Choruby sparked a two-out rally to tack on a run in the second. After the first two Aggies struck out, Choruby punched a ball through the left side for single. He stole second base and came around to score on a single by George Janca to give Texas A&M a 3-0 advantage.

Moss manufactured a run in the top of the third. The senior bounced a single up the middle, stole second base, moved to third on a deep fly out to center by Birk and came home to score on a wild pitch for the 4-0 lead.

Pepperdine evened the game in the bottom of the third. Nick Costello started the rally with a leadoff single to right field. With one out, Matt Gelalich drew a walk. With two outs, Aaron Barnett laced a single up the middle to knock in Costello and Brad Anderson launched a three-run home run to leftfield to tie the game at 4-4.

The Waves took advantage of a couple of A&M miscues to take the lead in the sixth. Leadoff hitter Ben Rodriguez swung and missed at strike three, but reached first when the pitch bounced away from Aggie catcher Michael Barash. With one out, Manny Jefferson hit a two-run home run to leftfield to give Pepperdine a 6-4 lead. Gelalich singled to right and stole second. Aggie shortstop Janca had a throwing error on a grounder by Chase Lambert to put runners on the corners and Barnett followed by blooping a single to rightfield to score Gelalich for the 7-4 cushion.

The Aggies stranded two runners in each of the last two frames to stunt the comeback attempt. In the eighth, they got runners on second and third with one out behind a White walk and a Moss double, but Birk and Melton struck out to end the inning. In the ninth, Barash and Joel Davis started the frame with walks, but Ronnie Gideon struck out swinging on a full-count offering. Choruby singled up the middle to plate Barash and cut the lead to 7-5, but Janca popped out foul to first base and White grounded out to second to end the inning.

Moss and Choruby each had two hits for the Aggies. Moss went 2-for-3 with one double, one walk and two runs. Choruby batted 2-for-4 with one run and one RBI.

Barnett paced the Waves with three hits, including one double, and two RBI. Anderson had one home run and three RBI and Jefferson notched two hits, including a home run and two RBI.

Aggie starter Corbin Martin went 4.0 innings, allowing four runs on five this, three walks and one four strikeouts. Andrew Vinson (0-1) was saddled with the loss, allowing two runs on two hits while striking out three in 1.1 innings.

A.J. Puckett (1-1) earned the win for Pepperdine after struggling early. He allowed four runs, three earned, on five hits and two walks while striking out four in 7.1 innings. Max Gamboa earned the save, allowing one run on two hits and two walks while striking out three in 1.2 innings.

The loss snapped a 35-game non-conference regular-season streak for the Aggies.

Texas A&M and Pepperdine resume action in the series Saturday with a 3 pm contest at Eddy D. Field Stadium.