Chandler Morris hits grand slam as Aggies beat Prairie View A&M 18-1
Game #45: Texas A&M 18, Prairie View A&M 1
Records: Texas A&M (33-12, 11-10 SEC), Prairie View A&M (12-30)
WP: Asa Lacy (2-1)
LP: Caleb Rozypal (1-7)
Box Score
The No. 21 Aggie baseball team (33-12, 11-10 SEC) thrashed Prairie View A&M 18-1, thanks to a grand slam and two six-run innings Tuesday night at Olsen Field.
The Aggies jumped all over the Panthers' pitching in the bottom of the first. After loading the bases after the first three at-bats of the game, Hunter Coleman singled through the left side of the infield, driving in Michael Helman. Cam Blake kept the line moving by reaching on an RBI single hit back to the pitcher. Chandler Morris would cap off the scoring in the inning by cranking a grand slam over the wall in left field for his first career home run.
When the frame was over, A&M had hung a six spot on the scoreboard.
“Honestly, no I didn’t [think it was a homer off the bat],” Morris said after the game. “I knew I got a good swing off. Everyone in front of me was able to set it up for me to be able to get the swing off. When I hit it, I was just hoping.”
A&M would strike again in the next inning. With runners on the corners, Coleman dropped an RBI single into left field. Will Frizzell would follow suit by clearing the bases with a two-RBI single to center field. Later in the inning, Frizzell crossed the plate on a wild pitch.
In the bottom of the fourth, Aaron Walters hit an RBI triple to deep center field, scoring George Janca. A batter later, Michael Helman drove in Walters with an RBI single up the middle. Braden Shewmake would plate his teammates with a two-RBI single to right-center field later in the inning. Frizzell would rip a ball off of the wall in left to drive in two more runs. When it was all said and done, A&M scored six more runs in the fourth.
The Maroon and White would scratch across a run in the fifth — DeLoach would reach first on an RBI fielder’s choice, scoring Walters from third.
The final run came in the bottom of the six — pinch hitter Chris Andritsos launched a home run off of the scoreboard in left field.
The Panthers would get on the scoreboard in the seventh inning. After an error on Allonte Wingate at third, Andrew Garcia would drive in a run with an RBI single to left field.
Offensively, A&M finished the game with 16 hits and worked 12 walks.
Freshman lefty Asa Lacy started on the mound for the Aggies and worked two scoreless frames before the bullpen took care of the rest — the Aggies would use seven relievers to navigate through the remainder of the game.
Christian Roa worked a scoreless third, Jack Conlon put up a zero in the fourth and Mason Cole came on in the fifth and put up another zero. Cason Sherrod worked a scoreless sixth inning before Andritsos gave up one unearned run in the seventh. Kyle Richardson put up a zero in the eighth and Dustin Saenz finished the game off by throwing a scoreless ninth.
“We got a lot of guys on the mound tonight and they all attacked the strike zone and looked prepared and pitched at a very high level,” head coach Rob Childress said. “We took them out of the game early offensively, Chandler Morris with the big grand slam and we didn’t look back offensively. But the thing I was most proud of was what we did on the mound. We didn’t create innings for them and made them earn everything that they got.”
The Aggies will return to action Friday night when they host Florida in a weekend series. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. and the game can be seen on SEC Network +.