Olsen Magic: DeLoach's walk-off caps 4-3 victory over Rhode Island
WP: John Doxakis (1-0)
LP: Tyler Barss (0-1)
Zach DeLoach went 0-for-5 at the plate in his collegiate debut on Opening Day, but he recovered in a big way Saturday afternoon. The freshman outfielder came through with a four-hit day that included a walk-off single up the middle, capping off a dramatic 4-3 victory over Rhode Island.
“I was just trying to stick with my approach — being able to stay flat through the zone,” DeLoach said after the game. “We strung together some really good hits [in the ninth], and I was just doing my job.”
Trailing 3-2 to begin the bottom of the ninth, Logan Foster led off with a single up the middle, and pinch-hitter Allonte Wingate singled to right to put two men on with no outs. After a perfectly executed sacrifice bunt by Baine Schoenvogel, DeLoach ripped the 1-1 pitch up the middle past a drawn-in infield to give the Aggies a dramatic one-run victory.
“Olsen Magic is a real thing,” Wingate said. “Once you’re in the moment, that’s when it becomes really real.”
The Aggies (2-0) had a prime opportunity to tie the game in the eighth after Braden Shewmake launched an RBI triple to get them within one run. However, the next three hitters made unproductive outs to strand the tying run at third.
In all, Texas A&M was 2-for-15 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base in the contest.
John Doxakis kept the Aggies in the game with a dominant relief performance. The sophomore lefty tossed six superb innings out of the bullpen, scattering two hits and no runs while striking out eight to earn the victory on the mound.
He took over for freshman starter Chandler Jozwiak, who surrendered four hits and three runs in his collegiate debut. The southpaw from Brenham only lasted three innings, but Childress said he competed well and is looking forward to when he pitches again.
A&M drew first blood in the opening frame as DeLoach led off the game with a triple to right-center and Shewmake scored him with a sacrifice fly to right field.
The Rams responded in the second and third, notching several hard-hit balls off Jozwiak, who gave up three extra-base hits in his three innings of work. Laurence Hill doubled home Greg Cavaliere in the second to knot the score at one, and then the duo struck again an inning later as the two recorded consecutive RBI hits to give Rhode Island its first lead of the series.
Doxakis was overpowering for the most part, but he also wiggled out of trouble twice to keep the Aggies within striking distance. He struck out back-to-back Rams with a runner on third in the seventh, followed by another inning-ending strikeout in the ninth with two runners on base.
“The only way that ninth inning comes to be was with John Doxakis coming in and giving us a great hold,” Childress said. “He made some big pitches to get us off the field with runners on base.
“He was very determined. He competed, he was aggressive and every time he had a chance to break, he didn’t.”
Rhode Island starter Matt Murphy kept the Aggies off all afternoon long, pitching six innings of one-run ball. He didn't strike out a single batter, but he kept the ball off the Aggies' barrel and relied on his defense to make several good plays behind him.
Texas A&M goes for the sweep on Sunday as Mitchell Kilkenny gets the ball. First pitch is scheduled for noon at Olsen Field.
