DeLoach hits for the cycle as Aggies defeat Stephen F. Austin, 11-4

WP: Kyle Richardson (1-0)

LP: Cole Ridgely (0-1)

Box Score

Picking up right where he left off over the weekend, Zach DeLoach hit for the cycle and crossed the plate five times Tuesday night as Texas A&M defeated Stephen F. Austin 11-4 at Olsen Field.

The reigning SEC Freshman of the Week homered in the first to lead off the game, singled in the second, walked in the fourth, doubled in the fifth and tripled in the seventh to become the first Aggie to hit for the cycle since Tyler Naquin did it in 2011.

“It’s just a neat deal,” head coach Rob Childress said after the game. “Anytime you get to watch a cycle it’s pretty special. I’m sure there were a lot of fans that said it was a little too wet, too rainy, too cold, and for those that didn’t come out, they missed history.”

Hitting behind DeLoach in the No. 2 spot in the order, Michael Helman had another huge game as well. The former JUCO Player of the Year reached base four times, scoring three runs to go along with an RBI.

Brianna Hillman, TexAgs

DeLoach is hitting an insane .579 through his first four college games.

As a team, the Aggies pounded out six extra-hits and scored in all but one inning as the lineup looks to be finding its groove.

“We just came out blazing hot, did our thing and stuck with our approach,” said DeLoach, who has reached base in each his last 12 plate appearances. “We were really competitive in the box, and that's just kind of how the night went.”

Freshman Dustin Saenz performed nicely in his first college start on the mound, scattering four hits and an unearned run over 4.2 innings. The lefty from Corpus Christi threw 41 of his 69 pitches for strikes before handing the ball to Nolan Hoffman, who recorded a strikeout to finish the fifth.

“It was a good start,” Saenz said. “I couldn’t have done it without my teammates. The hitting and the defense behind me, they’re a great group of guys. It was my first time, I’m glad to get it under my belt.”

DeLoach got the scoring started immediately in the first, launching the second pitch he saw over the left-field wall for a leadoff opposite-field homer. With a 4-for-4 day, the freshman center fielder is 11 for his last 14 at the plate with two home runs and nine runs scored.

After scoring a run apiece in the second and third, the Aggies put up another crooked number in the fourth. DeLoach and Helman reached base without a hit, Shewmake moved them up a base with a groundout and Hunter Coleman plated DeLoach with an RBI groundout. Then Will Frizzell and Cole Bedford worked back-to-back walks and Logan Foster followed with a two-run single to left-center.

Lexie Hudson, TexAgs

Kyle Richardson recorded his first college win Tuesday night, pitching a perfect inning of relief in the sixth.

DeLoach was in the middle of the action in the seventh as well, cranking a leadoff triple off the wall in right-center to complete his cycle. Helman then walked on four pitches and moments later Shewmake tripled them both home with a towering fly ball to dead center field. Shewmake tried to stretch it into an inside-the-park home run, but the throw home beat him by a step and he was tagged out.

With the big lead, Childress was able to get six pitchers into the game. Kyle Richardson and Christian Roa each worked perfect innings in the sixth and seventh, respectively, before Mason Cole was tagged for three runs in the eighth and Landon Miner closed it out with a three-up, three-down ninth. 

The Aggies return to the diamond Friday to start a three-game series with Cornell. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Olsen Field, and the game can be seen on the SEC Network +.