Saw 'em off: Aggies secure rivalry win over Texas, 9-6

Game #31: No. 9 Texas A&M 9, No. 12 Texas 6
Records: Texas A&M (24-6-1, 6-2-1), Texas (20-12, 1-1)
WP: Dustin Saenz (2-0)
LP: Owen Meaney (0-1)
S: Kasey Kalich (7)
Box Score

On a Tuesday night in April, the attention of baseball fans in the Lone Star State was on the state’s capitol where the No. 9 Texas A&M Aggies held on to saw ’em off against No. 12 Texas, 9-6. Although it was just a midweek game, there was a record crowd that jammed into the Disch for a renewing of the rivalry.

“I just fed off of it,” said starting pitcher Dustin Saenz. “I was on attack all game and the guys did an outstanding job defensively and offensively.”

It was the aforementioned Saenz who was tabbed as the starter by head coach Rob Childress, but he wasn’t the surprising name on the scoresheet. After being roughed up on Saturday, both Mikey Hoehner (groin) and Bryce Blaum (foot) were in the starting lineup.

Texas started the scoring in the bottom of the first when 3B Ryan Reynolds singled into center field to score the first Longhorn run. Already at a crucial junction in the game, Texas A&M answered the bell in the top of the second with a barrage of scoring. One pitch after Texas took the lead, clean up hitter Johnathan Ducoff launched a ball off of the back of the bullpen wall in left field for a solo homerun. Battered catcher Mikey Hoehner validated his inclusion into the lineup two batters later when he bounced a two run shot off the scoreboard in left-center field. Cam Blake would single in Logan Foster to make it 4-1 A&M in the second inning.

“That was huge,” quipped Ducoff after the game. “Putting up a four spot in the second, getting our offense going and getting that momentum back was huge for us.”

The Aggies took that momentum and ran with it, scoring in the 4th on an RBI double from Braden Shewmake and again in the 6th when Johnathan Ducoff sizzled a ball into left field that trampolined off the artificial turf and over the head of left fielder Eric Kennedy. Ducoff ended up on third base, officially credited with an RBI single, and two runners would cross the plate to make it 7-1 in favor of the Ags.

However, to count the Longhorns out at home would have been foolish. Texas scratched one back in the 6th inning and then brought the home faithful to their feet in the 7th when catcher Michael McCann blasted a three run home run into the left field bullpen. All of a sudden, it was a ballgame again.

As the Aggie bats fell silent, the pendulum of momentum was swinging back in favor of the Longhorns. After Chris Weber bailed the Aggies out of the 7th, Bryce Miller came in and gave up one unearned run in the 8th. The run would score when Ty Coleman’s throw to first on a routine ground ball was low and scooted under the glove of Hunter Watson at first.

But as the pendulum reached its Longhorn apex, it ultimately would sway back in favor of the Maroon and White. Miller rallied and blew a fastball right by Mason Hibbeler to conclude the 8th, stranding the tying run a mere 90 feet away.

With A&M clinging to a one run lead, the Aggie bats once again roared to life and Logan Foster sent a sharp single into center field, scoring two to make it 9-6. In the bottom half of the inning, Kasey Kalich rebounded from a rough Saturday and sat the burnt orange down in order to secure an Aggie win in one of the most passionate rivalries in sports.

Texas A&M will now continue their road trip and head to Baton Rouge for a weekend series with the LSU Tigers, one that has major SEC West implications on the line.