Game #16: Texas A&M 10, Samford 1
Records: Texas A&M (12-4), Samford (7-7)
WP: Dustin Saenz (3-1)
LP: Samuel Strickland (2-2)
Box score
Follow the Saenz.
With a gem from Dustin Saenz, Texas A&M defeated Samford, 10-1, in the opening game of a three-game series in Bryan-College Station. Saenz held the Bulldogs scoreless for eight innings while striking out 14 as the Aggies won their eighth consecutive ballgame.
“Just trusting in myself and doing what I’m told is how it’s going to play out,” Saenz said. “It has worked perfectly so far.”
After a dominant outing last week vs. New Mexico State, Saenz upped the ante on Friday night, surpassing his previous career-high of 7.2 innings pitched. The Corpus Christi native allowed just four hits, and his only walk was an automatic intentional walk issued to Sonny DiChiara in the third. His 14-strikeout mark is just one off the team’s season-high (Bryce Miller, 15).
“During the time being, I wasn’t thinking about it,” Saenz said of the elusive 15th strikeout. “I was just trying to get my team off the field.”
With his pitch count at 101 through seven, Childress allowed Saenz to return to the mound to face the bottom of the Samford lineup, and the Aggie lefty emerged from the eighth unscathed following an error to begin the frame.
“For [head coach Rob Childress] to trust me to go back out here for the eighth was something special,” Saenz said. “I also couldn’t have done it without the offensive side of things.”
The bats had his back, albeit not until the late innings. While the final score screams “blowout,” the ballgame was much closer than 10-1 might indicate.
“I just don’t think the score’s indicative of how close that game was,” Childress said. “It was a Friday night fight.”
Samford starting pitcher Samuel Strickland kept the Bulldogs in the contest until he departed trailing 2-0 following the fifth inning after Ray Alejo and Will Frizzell combined to see 13 pitches, running Strickland’s pitch count up to 83.
“I know we didn’t come away with anything at that point, but we took an extra 10 pitches from him when he was about to go single digits and give him that inning,” Childress said.
A&M attacked the visiting relievers, scoring eight runs in their final three at-bats, including a five-run eighth. After the game, the Aggies praised an approach one might commonly find on the gridiron instead of the diamond.
“We just kept pounding and pounding and pointing, and finally, we got him out of there,” said Texas A&M designated hitter Austin Bost. “The in the fourth quarter — the sixth, seventh and eighth — we made it hurt.”
Offensively, Austin Bost was the home nine’s top performer, finishing 3-for-5 with a pair of home runs and a trio of RBIs.
“I felt like I was seeing the ball great,” Bost said. “Tonight helps me even more, knowing I can do what I can do.”
Still, the story of the night was Saenz’s masterpiece as he has lowered his ERA to a stingy 1.71 and has now earned a win in his last three starts. The Corpus Christi King product looking like a true Friday-night ace.
“[Saenz] has been nails his first few starts, and he’s just building on top of each week,” said Texas A&M catcher Mikey Hoehner. “The amount of confidence you have as a team when you know your Friday night starter is going to go out there and give you a quality start is unbelievable.”
Texas A&M and Samford return to Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park on Saturday afternoon as the sides will play a doubleheader. Bryce Miller (2-0, 2.30) will take the mound for the Aggies in the first game, scheduled for a 1:02 p.m. start. Game Two will begin shortly after the conclusion of Game One.
