Friday, April 22
College Station
6:30 PM
Texas A&M
31-7, 11-5
4
vs
3
Alabama
23-16, 8-8
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
R
H
E
Alabama
0
1
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
3
6
1
Texas A&M
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
4
10
3
Photo by: Russell James/Texas A&M Athletics
Homan's 10th Inning Single Leads A&M to 4-3 Win vs. Alabama
Apr 22, 2016 | Baseball
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies walked off in the 10th inning Friday on Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park to secure their ninth victory in a row. The 4-3 win over the Alabama Crimson Tide gives A&M a two-game cushion in the SEC Western Division.
With the score knotted at 3-3 heading into the bottom of the 10th frame, the Aggies had the sights set on their fourth walk-off win on the season. Michael Barash reached base with a hit by pitch and Joel Davis moved him to scoring position with a sacrifice off Tide reliever Dylan Duarte (2-2). Pinch-hitter Ronnie Gideon was intentionally walked setting the table for Austin Homan. Homan sent a single to left and the crowd anticipated a play at the plate. Barash beat the tag home giving the Aggies their seventh straight SEC win.
Brigham Hill got the call on the mound for the Aggies looking to extend his perfect 5-0 record. He had Alabama guessing for his 6.0-plus innings giving up three runs, two earned allowing just four hits and fanning seven.
The Aggies (31-7, 11-5) jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first off Tide starter Geoffrey Bramblett. J.B. Moss' single followed by Nick Banks' walk put two runners on for Boomer White. The SEC's batting leader, White, scored the SEC's leader in runs, Moss, on a double in the gap. Hunter Melton and Barash followed it up with productive RBI outs.
The Crimson Tide (23-16, 8-8) attempted to match the Aggie output in top of the second. With the aid of a couple of A&M errors, Bama plated one. Hill buckled down with two runners in scoring position and one out to get out of the jam with the Aggies holding a two-run lead.
The game went quiet on the scoreboard for the next few innings. Hill got in a got out of a jam in the third and followed it up retiring seven in a row until the sixth. Bama started the sixth with a single and a groundout. Alabama freshman Chandler Taylor tied the game up at three with a line shot to right that grazed the top of the wall before going over.
Hill got the no decision on the night and was relieved after walking the leadoff runner in the seventh. Andrew Vinson came in and was lights out retiring the next three Tide hitters. Vinson was back on for the eighth and continued where he left off striking out the side. Mark Ecker (3-1) worked a scoreless ninth giving the Aggies a chance to win it in the bottom half.
In the ninth, after two quick outs, the red-hot White blooped a single to right for his fourth hit of the ball game. After an intentional walk to Melton, Birk stepped up. It looked as if he might have ended the game, but Alabama leftfielder Hunter Webb chased down the fly ball ending the frame.
Ecker was back out for the 10th and despite a couple based runners avoided giving up a run setting up the Aggies for their Magic in the bottom of the tenth.
White continued his impressive season with a 4-for-5 day that included two doubles. He raised his average to .444 and .552 in SEC play. Barash had a career night reaching in all five plate appearances and scoring the game winning run. Ecker made it 13.0 innings pitched in SEC play without allowing a run after his two scoreless frames.
The Maroon and White will be back at it on Saturday for game two against the Tide. Jace Vines will get the start for the 2:04 start on Olsen Field and Blue Bell Park.
Head Coach Rob Childress
On today's game…
"Good teams find a way to win even if they're not having their best night. We make a couple mistakes there in the second inning with the fielding errors and it gives them a run without a hit. That sort of stopped the momentum. In the sixth inning I made a mistake as pitch call and he (Chandler Taylor) made us pay for it. Just like that it's a ballgame. Their bullpen did an outstanding job and so did ours. But we found a way. Great teams find a way.
On Austin Homan's game-winning hit…
"We set up a lot of innings tonight. We just weren't able to get that next hit. Give Alabama's hitters all the credit in the world. But Austin Homan was swinging the bat well coming into tonight, so if he focused on getting a good pitch we knew he could do something with it."
Junior third baseman Boomer White
On Olsen Magic…
"Like the coaches said 'Some nights one part of the game has to pick up another.' Tonight it was the pitching staff. They won the game for us by keeping us in it long enough that the offense could do its part."
Junior relief pitcher Mark Ecker
On making big pitches in the 10th to keep it tied…
"Those are the moments pitchers live for. It was great atmosphere at the ballpark. I didn't have my best stuff, but I knew I had good enough stuff if I let the defense do some work behind me."
Junior shortstop Austin Homan
On his game-winning hit…
"My heart is racing. I can barely remember it. He started me with a fastball down that I fouled off. I watched a pitch middle-away. He made a good pitch that I probably should've hit. They teach us that we're going to dominate the fastball away and I didn't do it there. I knew at that moment I just had to relax and compete with two strikes. I had to do whatever I could to put a ball in play. Luckily he hung a changeup for me and I was able to get a piece of it."
With the score knotted at 3-3 heading into the bottom of the 10th frame, the Aggies had the sights set on their fourth walk-off win on the season. Michael Barash reached base with a hit by pitch and Joel Davis moved him to scoring position with a sacrifice off Tide reliever Dylan Duarte (2-2). Pinch-hitter Ronnie Gideon was intentionally walked setting the table for Austin Homan. Homan sent a single to left and the crowd anticipated a play at the plate. Barash beat the tag home giving the Aggies their seventh straight SEC win.
Brigham Hill got the call on the mound for the Aggies looking to extend his perfect 5-0 record. He had Alabama guessing for his 6.0-plus innings giving up three runs, two earned allowing just four hits and fanning seven.
The Aggies (31-7, 11-5) jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first off Tide starter Geoffrey Bramblett. J.B. Moss' single followed by Nick Banks' walk put two runners on for Boomer White. The SEC's batting leader, White, scored the SEC's leader in runs, Moss, on a double in the gap. Hunter Melton and Barash followed it up with productive RBI outs.
The Crimson Tide (23-16, 8-8) attempted to match the Aggie output in top of the second. With the aid of a couple of A&M errors, Bama plated one. Hill buckled down with two runners in scoring position and one out to get out of the jam with the Aggies holding a two-run lead.
The game went quiet on the scoreboard for the next few innings. Hill got in a got out of a jam in the third and followed it up retiring seven in a row until the sixth. Bama started the sixth with a single and a groundout. Alabama freshman Chandler Taylor tied the game up at three with a line shot to right that grazed the top of the wall before going over.
Hill got the no decision on the night and was relieved after walking the leadoff runner in the seventh. Andrew Vinson came in and was lights out retiring the next three Tide hitters. Vinson was back on for the eighth and continued where he left off striking out the side. Mark Ecker (3-1) worked a scoreless ninth giving the Aggies a chance to win it in the bottom half.
In the ninth, after two quick outs, the red-hot White blooped a single to right for his fourth hit of the ball game. After an intentional walk to Melton, Birk stepped up. It looked as if he might have ended the game, but Alabama leftfielder Hunter Webb chased down the fly ball ending the frame.
Ecker was back out for the 10th and despite a couple based runners avoided giving up a run setting up the Aggies for their Magic in the bottom of the tenth.
White continued his impressive season with a 4-for-5 day that included two doubles. He raised his average to .444 and .552 in SEC play. Barash had a career night reaching in all five plate appearances and scoring the game winning run. Ecker made it 13.0 innings pitched in SEC play without allowing a run after his two scoreless frames.
The Maroon and White will be back at it on Saturday for game two against the Tide. Jace Vines will get the start for the 2:04 start on Olsen Field and Blue Bell Park.
Head Coach Rob Childress
On today's game…
"Good teams find a way to win even if they're not having their best night. We make a couple mistakes there in the second inning with the fielding errors and it gives them a run without a hit. That sort of stopped the momentum. In the sixth inning I made a mistake as pitch call and he (Chandler Taylor) made us pay for it. Just like that it's a ballgame. Their bullpen did an outstanding job and so did ours. But we found a way. Great teams find a way.
On Austin Homan's game-winning hit…
"We set up a lot of innings tonight. We just weren't able to get that next hit. Give Alabama's hitters all the credit in the world. But Austin Homan was swinging the bat well coming into tonight, so if he focused on getting a good pitch we knew he could do something with it."
Junior third baseman Boomer White
On Olsen Magic…
"Like the coaches said 'Some nights one part of the game has to pick up another.' Tonight it was the pitching staff. They won the game for us by keeping us in it long enough that the offense could do its part."
Junior relief pitcher Mark Ecker
On making big pitches in the 10th to keep it tied…
"Those are the moments pitchers live for. It was great atmosphere at the ballpark. I didn't have my best stuff, but I knew I had good enough stuff if I let the defense do some work behind me."
Junior shortstop Austin Homan
On his game-winning hit…
"My heart is racing. I can barely remember it. He started me with a fastball down that I fouled off. I watched a pitch middle-away. He made a good pitch that I probably should've hit. They teach us that we're going to dominate the fastball away and I didn't do it there. I knew at that moment I just had to relax and compete with two strikes. I had to do whatever I could to put a ball in play. Luckily he hung a changeup for me and I was able to get a piece of it."
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ecker, Mark (3-1)
L: Duarte, Dylan (2-2)
Batting:
HR: Taylor, Chandler 1
RBI: Taylor, Chandler 2
SH: Salem, Georgie 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Vance, Cobie 1 ; Avant, Chandler 1 ; Taylor, Chandler 1
SB: Avant, Chandler 2
HBP: Vincent, Chance 1
Batting:
2B: White, Boomer 2
RBI: White, Boomer 1 ; Melton, Hunter 1 ; Birk, Ryne 1 ; Homan, Austin 1
SH: Davis, Joel 1
SF: Melton, Hunter 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Moss, J.B. 1 ; Banks, Nick 1 ; White, Boomer 1 ; Barash, Michael 1
SB: Barash, Michael 1
CS: White, Boomer 1
HBP: Moss, J.B. 1 ; Barash, Michael 1
PO: Banks, Nick 1
Game Leaders
Hitting
AB
5
R
1
H
4
RBI
1
AB
3
R
1
H
3
RBI
0
AB
4
R
1
H
1
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
OF
/ BaseballC
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
INF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
RHP
/ BaseballINF
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