Haas delivers go-ahead three-run homer as A&M rallies past Tarleton

Game #45: Texas A&M 6, Tarleton 5
Records: Texas A&M (26-19, 9-12), Tarleton (23-19, 7-12)
WP: Carson Lambert (2-1)
LP: Jake Burcham (2-3)
Save: Evan Aschenbeck (1)
Box Score

The Aggies snap the skid in comeback fashion.

After a go-ahead three-run home run from Hunter Haas in the eighth inning, Texas A&M ended a five-game slide with a 6-5 victory over Tarleton on Tuesday. 

“Right now even wins seem like they’re uphill, but it’s better than the alternative,” A&M head coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “Glad to see Hunter [Haas] get a big hit. He needed that for his confidence going into a big weekend.”

The Aggies trailed 4-3 in the eighth, staring a sixth straight loss right in the face. Jordan Thompson singled to leadoff the inning before pinch-hitter Travis Chestnut drew a walk. 

Immediately following the walk from Chestnut, Haas sent a 1-2 pitch over the fence in left to give the Aggies a 6-4 advantage. 

“Honestly I was just looking for a pitch up that I could handle,” Haas said. “I got down early with two strikes and I got lucky he hung a changeup and I was able to pull it.”

However, the Texans would not go down quietly in the ninth as they loaded the bases and got within one run of the Aggies on an infield single by Mason Crews. With one out, reliever Evan Aschenbeck forced a groundball to third that would turn into a 5-4-3 double play to end the game. 

“This time last year [Austin] Bost couldn’t turn that double play and he did a nice job with it,” Schlossnagle said. 

The game-ending double play was reviewed before the final score was official, and the call ultimately stood in favor of the Aggies.

“That’s about as close as it gets when they were showing it on the scoreboard,” Haas said. “Glad they called him out.”

Despite A&M not having a starting pitcher notch a win since March 11, Tuesday's starter Justin Lamkin put together a solid outing on the hill. Lamkin lasted five innings, allowing three earned runs on one hit and two walks while punching out a career-high nine batters. 

“I knew it was going to be a good one over in the bullpen,” Lamkin said. “I was really riding the fastball. Mechanics felt good. I was in the right mental spot, so I knew it was going to be good.”

In his first appearance since April 23 at Kentucky, Lamkin provided one of the best starting performances the Aggies have seen as of late. 

“Not pitching recently gave me some good rest,” Lamkin said. “It let my body heal. Just coming out here feeling fresh and doing my job.”

Cade Ingersoll, TexAgs

In one of his top performances yet, Lamkin recorded a career-high nine strikeouts. 

After delivering a 1-2-3 inning in the first, Lamkin surrendered a solo homer to Dylan Choy Foo in the second inning that put the Texans up 1-0. Lamkin responded by retiring the Texans in order in the next three innings. 

In the sixth, Lamkin walked the first two batters he faced and was pulled for Brandyn Garcia. The Aggie starter was charged with two runs after Tarleton first baseman Jack Wagner launched a three-run blast, putting the Texans up 4-1. 

Carson Lambert relieved Garcia after the sixth and did his job to keep the Aggies in the game. Lambert picked up the win after throwing 2.1 innings and allowing one run on two hits and a walk. 

The fight back for the Aggies began in the sixth with RBI singles off the bats of Jordan Thompson and Max Kaufer. After that, Lambert stood firm for Haas and the offense to get the job done. 

As the Aggies look to close out the regular season on a high note and earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament, taking care of business against non-conference talent was crucial. 

Despite the much-needed win, the Aggies don’t see the margins of error getting any thinner, Haas said.

“We’re always playing to a standard,” Haas said. “We’re always playing to win, so I don't think anything changes in that aspect. We're just going out to win each pitch.”

A&M will continue its eight-game homestand this weekend as they play host to No. 4 Florida.