Game #47: No. 10 Texas A&M 8, Mississippi State 7
Records: Texas A&M (31-16, 15-10), Mississippi State (25-25, 9-16)
WP: Joseph Menefee (4-2)
LP: KC Hunt (2-4)
Save: Will Johnston (1)
Box Score
Down but never out, the comeback Aggies did it again.
Behind a rally in the late innings, No. 10 Texas A&M defeated Mississippi State in a Friday night fight at Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park, 8-7.
“We don’t call him ‘Clutch Claunch’ for no reason,” Texas A&M third baseman Trevor Werner said. “He was the best guy in that spot, and everybody knew it in the dugout.”
A&M entered the seventh trailing 7-4, but four walks to the first five batters helped the Ags trim the deficit to two as reliever KC Hunt struggled to find the strike zone.
“There's no quit in us. There’s a lot of fight. No matter if we're down early or if we have a lead and give it up, it doesn't matter. We have to keep plugging away and keep going.”
- Texas A&M catcher Troy Claunch
After getting Brett Minnich looking, Claunch stepped to the plate.
On a 1-2 pitch, Claunch checked his swing. Mississippi State catcher Logan Tanner was hopping mad that the Bulldogs did not get the call on appeal.
Claunch made good with his second life on the very next pitch.
“I thought it was actually going to fall earlier,” Claunch said. “I guess I back-spun it a little more.”
The Aggie backstop stroked a fast-dying liner to center that was just out of the reach of a diving Brad Cumbest. The carom bounced towards right field, allowing three runs to score and giving the Aggies the lead once more.
“When I saw him closing in on it and dive, I was like, ‘No way,’” Claunch said. “Luckily it fell.”
Claunch's bases-clearing double was the Aggies' lone hit in a four-run seventh.
“There's no quit in us,” Claunch said. “There’s a lot of fight. No matter if we're down early or if we have a lead and give it up, it doesn't matter. We have to keep plugging away and keep going.”
A&M never relinquished the advantage, but not without some drama.
Jacob Palisch retired the first five batters he faced, but a two-out walk and a hit batter forced Schlossnagle to dip into his bullpen once more, this time calling upon Micah Dallas.
“I still believe in Micah,” Schlossnagle said. “He’s obviously just really spun out right now, so I’m looking for opportunities for him to have success so he can build some confidence.”
In his second relief appearance of the season, Dallas walked Tanner to load the bases and then gave way to Will Johnston.
“It feels great that coach has the confidence in me to come in there and just do my job,” Johnston said. “Coach tells me all the time that he believes in me, and it means a ton.”
Jamie Maury, TexAgs
Johnston needed just three pitches to get the 27th and final out, earning his first career save in the process.
Needing just one measly out, Johnston got Hunter Hines to bounce out to first as Jack Moss flipped to the pitcher covering to seal the win and Johnston's first career save.
“PFPs are the easiest thing in the world and the hardest thing in the world to do as a pitcher,” Johnston said. “We definitely worked on them a lot this week.”
A first-inning three spot and a Werner leadoff homer in the second gifted Nathan Dettmer an early 4-0 lead, but the Bulldogs battled back. However, hampered by a blister on his foot, Dettmer allowed the visitors to come back.
“It has been an issue before, during this season, and came back up during this game,” Schlossnagle said of Dettmer’s blister. “Hate to use that as an excuse, but at the same time, it’s a real thing. So, it’s something we’re going to have to continue to address.”
All seven of the Bulldogs’ runs came via the home run, with Dettmer giving up a pair and Joseph Menefee allowing two round-trippers as well.
“We keep giving up home runs,” Schlossnagle said. “We keep making bad pitches at inopportune times.”
Meanwhile, Mississippi State starter Brandon Smith settled in and prevented the Aggies from scoring again until the seventh.
“I thought Smith did an awesome job,” Schlossnagle said. “All he was doing was throwing strike one after the first couple of innings.”
A&M has now won eight of nine SEC series-opening ballgames, including seven in a row. Another win this weekend would clinch the Aggies' sixth consecutive series victory.
“How can you not love the grit of this team?” Schlossnagle said.
The Aggies and Bulldogs return to Olsen Field on Saturday for a 2:00 p.m. CT contest. Wyatt Tucker will toe the rubber for the Maroon & White.