Kaylor Chafin delivers big start, Aggies beat Vandy 3-1 in must-win game

Game #56: Texas A&M 3, Vanderbilt 1
Records: Texas A&M (37-19, 14-17 SEC), Vanderbilt (31-25, 16-15 SEC)
WP: Kaylor Chafin (5-0)
LP: Tyler Brown (1-4)
SV: Nolan Hoffman (13)
Box Score

Kaylor Chafin’s senior season has not gone the way he hoped it would when he announced he would bypass the MLB Draft and come back to Texas A&M.

He has not been the dominant super-reliever that he was in 2017, but when the Aggies needed him most, he delivered. Chafin scattered six hits over six fantastic innings, striking out five and walking one as the Aggies defeated Vanderbilt 3-1 in a game they likely had to win to have a shot at making the NCAA Tournament.

“It’s not even about the statistics for me, it was just being competitive for the team,” Chafin said after the game. “I felt like a couple times I’ve let them down, and it felt good to go out there and throw the way that I’m capable of. Getting a big win like that in a must-win game was awesome.”

Chafin allowed a run in the bottom of the second after Julian Infante led off with a single and later scored on an RBI single by Austin Martin, but after that Chafin was nearly flawless. He displayed pinpoint accuracy with his fastball to both sides of the plate, he threw his curveball for a strike whenever he wanted to and he stifled a Vanderbilt team that entered the postseason on a hot streak.

The Commodores left the bases loaded in the first without scoring as Chafin induced consecutive groundouts to end the frame. After scoring its lone run in the second, Vanderbilt managed only one more hit off Chafin and did not get a runner into scoring position.

“When we needed him the most, he was at his very best,” head coach Rob Childress said. “I’m just super, super proud of Kaylor Chafin.”

Said Vanderbilt head coach Tim Corbin: “He got some big outs when we had guys in scoring position and when we got leadoff hitters on. We just couldn’t multiply at-bats together, and he did a nice job when he had to.”

Then Nolan Hoffman entered the game in the seventh and locked down a nine-out save, his SEC-leading 13th of the season. Hoffman allowed a leadoff double in the seventh and then retired the next nine hitters he faced to send the Aggies into the double-elimination portion of the SEC Tournament.

The Aggies were not able to get anything going offensively until the fifth, when they finally broke through against Tyler Brown. Allonte Wingate led off the fifth with a single to right and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by Cole Bedford. Zach DeLoach followed with a single to left, and then Michael Helman reached on a 6-4 fielder’s choice. Ethan Paul threw to first to try to get a double play, but his throw went wide of first, allowing Bedford to score from second and give the Aggies a 2-1 lead.

Starting in the third, the Aggies got their leadoff man on base in five straight innings and got the timely hits that have mostly eluded them in recent weeks. 

“They were very competitive together,” Childress said of the Aggie offense. “They were seeking opportunities to help the team and executed, which is always important. When they do it together they have a chance to be special.”

A&M added an insurance run in the seventh as Janca led off with a single, advanced to third on two productive outs and then scored on a perfect RBI bunt base hit by Helman.

“We started off a little slow, but Kaylor did a great job of keeping us in the game the whole way,” said Helman, who went 2-for-4. “We got it going in the later innings and capitalized on their mistakes. We made the most of every opportunity that we had.”

Wingate recorded the final out of the contest, making a leaping catch up against the wall in right field to cap off a victory. With the win, the Aggies advance to the next round of the tournament and will meet Georgia on Wednesday morning at 9:30.

The win against the Commodores is a nice booster for A&M’s NCAA Tournament resume, but at least one more victory would go a long way toward solidifying a spot in the 64-team tournament.

“I’m the ultimate maroon spin doctor, I felt like we were in it the whole time,” Childress said. “When you look at our total body of work over the course of the season, it’s hard to deny a Top 20 RPI team with the No. 15 strength of schedule.”