Aggies eliminated from postseason with loss to LSU in extra innings, 12-6

Game #55: LSU 12, Texas A&M 6
Records: Texas A&M (29-26, 9-20), LSU (33-21, 12-17)
WP: Devin Fontenot (3-2)
LP: Chandler Jozwiak (2-4)
Box score

Fate: Sealed.

In a marathon night at Olsen Field, Texas A&M fell to LSU in 13 innings, 12-6, as the floodgate opened late. Combined with Auburn's 3-0 win over Missouri, the Aggies have officially been eliminated from the SEC Tournament and will miss the postseason altogether.

"They emptied the tank. We played as hard as we could possibly play," said Texas A&M head coach Rob Childress. "Really, the game was decided in the fifth inning."

A four-run top of the fifth, punctuated by a Cade Doughty three-run home run, tied the ball game at 6-6. The score remained deadlocked until the 13th.

"I was two hitters too late getting to [Joseph Menefee] and thought we could squeeze another inning out of Bryce [Miller]," Childress said.

Jamie Maury, TexAgs

Austin Bost’s go-ahead homer in the first inning was his 10th of the season. 

With the bases loaded and two outs, pinch-hitter Zach Arnold singled to left, scoring a pair. Disaster followed as the Tigers scored six runs in total, leaving no doubt.

"Chandler Jozwiak needed to be on the mound to decide that game," Childress said. "That's who I wanted, and I'm sure that's who everybody else in the locker room wanted as well."

Following the cataclysmic top half, the Aggie offense went quietly, cementing their fate.

"As good as we were out of the bullpen, LSU was just a tick better than us," Childress said.

The Aggies scored six runs in the first two innings of the never-ending affair, including an Austin Bost three-run homer in the first to give A&M an early 3-2 edge.

"That's always exciting, but I'm really not worried about that right now," Bost said of his home run. "Just worried about tomorrow. Moving on to the next. Trying to ball out for my brothers."

Miller ran into trouble in the fifth, coughing up a 6-2 lead as he departed after 4.2 innings. In relief, Menefee was brilliant across 4.1 innings of hitless, scoreless ball, keeping the Aggies in the ballgame.

"[Menefee] was super last week against Auburn and certainly was heroic again tonight," Childress said. "He did an amazing job."

Following Menefee, Jozwiak cruised through his first three innings of work before falling apart in the 13th inning.

"Both of those guys pitched their heart out tonight and gave us a shot," Childress said.

Throughout the game, the Aggies had their chances to score. A&M left the bases loaded in the fifth, ran themselves out of the eighth and failed to scratch a run across late. LSU held A&M scoreless for the final 11 innings.

"They had some good arms," Bost said. "Kept us off-balance."

In missing the SEC Tournament, the Aggies' postseason hopes have run out as the Maroon & White will miss the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006, Childress' first season at the helm.

Saturday's season finale between the Aggies and Tigers is set for a 2:02 p.m. CT first pitch, weather permitting.

"We're going to have fun," Bost said of tomorrow's contest. "Nothing matters. Just go out there and ball."