Bullpen struggles late, Aggie baseball drops game one to Arkansas, 6-4

Game # 54: Arkansas 6, Texas A&M 4


The Aggie baseball team had won the opening game of the series in each of the last five weeks dating back to April 13th at Alabama.

That streak however came to an end on Thursday night as the Aggies dropped the opening game of the series with the Arkansas Razorbacks, 6-4 in 10 innings.

“I was proud of some things we did along the way, but at the end of the day we didn’t get it done,” said head coach Rob Childress on his teams performance Thursday night.

After a scoreless first inning from both sides, Arkansas was able to get on the board first in the top of the second inning. After back-to-back singles from Carson Shaddy and Dominic Fletcher, the Razorback shortstop Jax Biggers would come up and come through with his first RBI of the night with a single to right field.

Arkansas would add another run in the top of the second on a high chopper, infield single to George Janca at third, allowing Fletcher to score on the play without a throw.

The Aggies got back  in the game in the bottom of the third inning, thanks to the bat of A&M second baseman, Braden Shewmake. With Nick Choruby reaching base on an infield single and Cam Blake getting aboard thanks to a HBP, Shewmake had two on and two out and he didn’t disappoint.

Shewmake took the first pitch of his at-bat opposite field and halfway up the netting beyond the wall in left field for a three-run home run to put A&M in front, 3-2. The homer was a team leading 10th for the A&M second baseman.

Brigham Hill took the ball for A&M in game one per usual, but Brigham wasn’t necessarily at his best. After surrendering the two earned runs in the top of the second inning, Hill was able to battle through five innings of work, striking out seven and walking two.

“They were battling the whole game, extended at bats, they were tough outs the whole night and that ultimately lead to me throwing 100 pitches through five innings,” said Brigham Hill. He added, “I felt good, they had a few lucky hits here in there, but overall I felt good.”

Hill turned over the ball to the Aggies standout reliever of the season, Kaylor Chafin with the one run lead to start the sixth inning.

Chafin was is normal self through his first two innings of work, allowing only two hits while recording his first six outs and extending his scoreless streak to 28 and a third innings pitched. In the seventh inning, things finally caught up to Chafin.

A leadoff single and a long home run from Jax Biggers over the visitors bullpen in right gave Arkansas the lead at 4-3.

“He’s been so great for us all year and it’s two left-handers that end up scoring the two runs, certainly didn’t expect that to happen. Give their hitters credit,” said Childress on Chafin’s performance.

A&M got back in the game late with a little Olsen Magic to tie the game in the ninth. After Blake Kopetsky reached on a fielders choice, the Aggie catcher hit a double past the third base bag, putting runners on first and second for Jorge Gutierrez. Gutierrez would come through with a sac-fly to tie the game at four, sending the game to extras.

Gutierrez got the start on Thursday night in place of regular Aggie first baseman, Joel Davis. In the postgame interviews head coach Rob Childress said that Joel broke his foot on Tuesday night against Sam Houston State, Childress hopes to get Davis back later this season.

In the top of the tenth inning Mitchell Kilkenny came on to pitch for Rob Childress. Kilkenny would retire the first two batters he faced with ease, but a bloop single put a runner on for the Razorback first baseman, Chad Spanberger.

Spanberger would hit a ball that off the bat looked like a long fly ball to left, but the ball just kept climbing and ended up off the top of the scoreboard in left, giving Arkansas a 6-4 lead.

The two run lead was all the Jake Reindl, the Arkansas close would need as he retired the Aggies in order in the bottom of the tenth to end the game, including a strike out looking from Nick Choruby. In total the Aggies would strike out 12 times on Thursday night while recording only six hits.

The Aggies will be back in action tomorrow night as they looked to even the series with Arkansas, first is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Corbin Martin will toe the rubber for A&M.