Four-run ninth lifts Aggies over No. 13 LSU in seesaw Saturday affair, 11-7

Game #18: Texas A&M 11, No. 13 LSU 7
Records: Texas A&M (12-6, 2-0), LSU (14-5, 0-2)
WP: Robert Hogan (1-1)
LP: Devin Fontenot (1-1)
Box Score

Exhale. A series win in Red Stick.

After nearly five hours of play at Alex Box Stadium on Saturday night, Texas A&M finally defeated No. 13 LSU, 11-7, to earn a Southeastern Conference series victory. Tied 7-7 entering the final stanza, the Aggies scored four in the ninth to earn the win.

With A&M leading 7-5 in the bottom of the eighth, LSU loaded the bases with two outs before Tyler McManus singled through the right side off Brad Rudis to plate a pair and tie the ballgame. Both runs were charged against Joseph Menefee, who could not cap off three scoreless innings of work in relief of Micah Dallas.

Entering in on an 0-2 count, Robert Hogan got Tre’ Morgan to strikeout to end the eighth.

Frisco Classic

Ryan Targac scored the game-winning run and drove in a pair, finishing 3-for-3.

Facing Devin Fontenot in the ninth, Ryan Targac worked a four-pitch walk to begin the frame before swiping second. A horrendous throwing error by LSU third baseman Jacob Berry allowed Targac to score what was ultimately the winning run.

Targac finished 3-for-3 with two runs scored and two runs driven in.

Kole Kaler drove in an insurance run with a one-out single to left-center, and Troy Claunch added a pair with a two-out double down the right-field line to make it 11-7.

To finish the ballgame, Hogan struck out two in a scoreless ninth to earn his first collegiate victory.

Texas A&M amassed 12 hits, including five of the extra-base variety. Of A&M’s 11 runs, only six were earned.

Aggie pitching struck out 15 Tigers despite issuing eight walks. LSU hitters also homered thrice off A&M arms.

Much like the Friday opener, Saturday’s ballgame was a teeter-totter affair.

Second-inning sacrifice flies by Taylor Smith and Logan Britt staked the Aggies to an early 2-0 lead against LSU ace Blake Money.

The Tigers struck back immediately as Giovanni DiGiacomo tied the contest with a two-run home run with two outs to right-center that barely cleared over the wall. An inning later, Dylan Crews launched a no-doubter to put LSU on top, 3-2.

Jamie Maury, TexAgs

Robert Hogan earned his first collegiate victory on Saturday night.

Following a Dylan Rock leadoff single, Targac tripled into the right-field corner to tie the contest in the fourth. One batter later, Britt drove in the go-ahead run with a single to left.

Needing a shutdown inning, Dallas delivered and stranded a pair of Tigers in scoring position. However, LSU bats had hit Dallas hard, and the right-hander departed after 4.2 innings having surrendered five runs on six hits while striking out six and walking two.

Targac added an RBI single in the fifth before Smith’s second sac fly pushed the advantage to 6-3. In the bottom half, McManus led off with his second homer of the weekend, and a Cade Doughty two-out double trimmed the Aggie lead to one and chased Dallas in the process.

A wild pitch on a Britt strikeout in the seventh allowed Brett Minnich to score to push the lead to 7-5 before LSU drew even in the eighth.

With the series victory in hand, the Aggies aim for the sweep on Sunday at Alex Box Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT, and Ryan Prager (0-0, 1.35) will face Ma’Khail Hilliard (1-0, 3.21).