Claunch's walk-off blast lifts Texas A&M to victory in 11-inning affair, 3-2

Game #29: Texas A&M 3, Kentucky 2 (11 innings)
Records: Texas A&M (18-11, 5-5), Kentucky (18-12, 3-7)
WP: Jacob Palisch (3-3)
LP: Sean Harney (4-2)
Box score

Late-night magic show.

At 12:07 on Friday morning, Troy Claunch launched a Sean Harney pitch to right-center for a walk-off blast as #12 touched down in Section 12 for a 3-2 series-opening victory over Kentucky in 11 innings.

TexAgs

Claunch drove in all three of Texas A&M’s runs, finishing 3-for-4 with a homer, two singles and a walk.

"It's my first walk-off home run in my life," Claunch said. "It feels good, especially because these guys in this dugout have been giving me a tough time about not having a home run yet. I hear about it every day, and for that to be the first one of the season, it feels really good."

The Oregon State transfer ended a marathon that evolved into a hard-fought bullpen battle the longer it went.

"We needed that one," Texas A&M head coach Jim Schlossnagle said. "We've lost some close ones. This time last week, we won, 3-2. It was just a great college baseball game."

Claunch drove in both of A&M's prior runs as well, plating Dylan Rock on singles in the fourth and sixth, respectively.

"I was just trying to feel relaxed, be loose," Claunch said of his performance. "When you think about it too much, you get spinning, and that's when things go sideways. I try to keep it as simple as possible."

With the score tied 2-2 after six, both bullpens were brilliant in keeping the contest deadlocked deep into the night.

Behind starter Nathan Dettmer, Joseph Menefee recorded five outs without allowing a run while punching out four of the seven batters he faced.

"I'm super excited about the direction Menefee is going," Schlossnagle said.

In what could have been the biggest moment of the game, Menefee worked out of a jam in the seventh with three straight Ks to strand a pair of runners and preserve the tie.

"He made a mechanical adjustment about ten days ago," Schlossnagle said of Menefee. "He and coach (Nate) Yeskie looked at a lot of video, figured it out, and he has put it together in a game."

Following Menefee's best outing of the year, Chris Cortez and Brad Rudis combined to get three key outs before handing the ball to Jacob Palisch for the final 2.1 innings, in which the lefty struck out five.

"Cortez can certainly come back tomorrow," Schlossnagle said. "Rudis can come back tomorrow. Menefee can come back tomorrow. Palisch, he usually needs more rest. Nathan did a nice job and set us up with a chance to win a series."

Having pitched just 5.1 innings before Thursday's series opener, Kentucky starter Mason Hazelwood worked into the fourth, allowing just a single run. Ryan Hagenow surrendered a 2-1 Kentucky lead before Harney baffled Aggie bats across the final five frames.

A&M mustered just three hits against Harney, and prior to the Claunch game-winner, the Wildcat righty had retired 11 consecutive Aggies.

"Their guy Harney was outstanding; just really, really good," Schlossnagle said.

Perhaps lost in the extra-inning affair was Dettmer's second consecutive quality start as the sophomore allowed just two runs - both coming in fourth - and struck out five Wildcats in six frames.

"He made some adjustments on his breaking ball, and he's just kind of growing up before our eyes, I guess," Schlossnagle said of Dettmer. "Back-to-back weeks where he has done a really nice job."

There is no rest for the weary as the Aggies and Wildcats will continue their series later today with a 6:32 p.m. start in game two. Winning the opener is not good enough as the Maroon & White look to learn from last weekend's trip to Tuscaloosa.

"We did this last week, so we have to be as hungry to come to the ballpark tomorrow as we did today," Schlossnagle said.