Aggie baseball continues to roll with 6-0 shutout win over Houston

Box Score: Link

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The construction going on at the Rec Center behind left field at Olsen may want to add one thing to its list.

Through two games at Minute Maid, three Aggie homeruns have found their way into the seats in left field.

Bombs from Hunter Melton and Michael Barash carried A&M to its 15th straight win to start the season, this one a 6-0 victory over the Houston Cougars.

While Aggie bats were busy continuing to send balls over the wall in left, Grayson Long ensured that the Houston lineup would not have the same success. Over seven innings of work, Long sent 10 batters back to the pine with strikeouts and allowed just three hits.

After struggling in their opener yesterday, the Aggie bats showed up in consistent and powerful fashion in their return to the Juice Box. Head coach Rob Childress spoke about his team’s performance at the plate.

“I thought we hit a lot of balls hard and he made a couple of mistakes. We were able to get a few balls out, that left field is about the only place you’re going to get one here.”

That offense jump started after Mitchell Nau kicked off the fourth inning with a single through the right side, Hunter Melton brought him all the way around with a two run blast to left. Off went the Aggies.

Up 2-0, Michael Barash didn’t wait long to stretch the A&M lead when he started off the fifth with a solo shot to left, his first of the season. Getting your first home run of the year in a major league ballpark is pretty cool. Barash agreed.

“Coach Bolt and Seely have really done a great job with our approach. We don’t have one selfish hitter on the team.” Said the Aggie catcher, “It was nice to get one here, but I could not have done it without the approach from our guys.”

The seventh inning saw the Ags utilize all types of different ways to bring a run home. Logan Taylor got on board thanks to an error at short. He switched corners after Michael Barash was awarded a ground rule double, due to one anxious fan reaching over the short wall in foul territory and scooping up the ball.

The play may have cost A&M a run, but it left two men in scoring position for last night’s knight in shining armor, J.B. Moss. The centerfielder took a low pitch and golfed a single back into right, scoring Taylor from third.

Blake Allemand flied out to right and scored Barash in the process. A&M scored its last run after a deep triple just short of the hill in center off the bat of Ryne Birk brought home Moss from first.

All the while, the Aggie pitching staff kept the Cougars off the scoreboard. All in all, A&M pitchers had 12 strikeouts and did not issue a walk until the final inning. Grayson Long discussed his performance after the game.

“I felt great going out, I was on top of the ball and throwing the fastball wherever I wanted. My secondary stuff was right along with it.” He said, “I was just cruising along and got into a zone and forgot about everything.”

With this win, the Aggies are now the only undefeated team in Division One baseball.

They’ll have a chance to beat another former Big 12 foe tomorrow when they face the Baylor Bears at 2:35.