Hot start propels No. 3 A&M to series-clinching win on Saturday, 6-3

Game #31: No. 3 Texas A&M 6, No. 22 South Carolina 3
Records: Texas A&M (28-3, 8-3), South Carolina (21-10, 5-6)
WP: Shane Sdao (2-0)
LP: Tyler Pitzer (4-1)
Save: Evan Aschenbeck (4)
Box Score

A game that once looked bleak for each team's bullpen was feared for naught.

In part thanks to reliever Shane Sdao's 4.1 scoreless innings, No. 3 Texas A&M clinched the series over No. 22 South Carolina with a 6-3 victory on Saturday afternoon in Columbia.

The outings from both starting pitchers, in terms of length, were less than ideal.

Tanner Jones tossed just 2.2 innings before being relieved by Sdao.

In the first two innings, Jones received some help from left fielder Caden Sorrell to guide him to a pair of scoreless frames.

After A&M’s three-run first, the Gamecocks needed a quick spark to get back into the contest.

Leading off the bottom of the inning, Parker Noland hammered a pitch to left field, but Sorrell made a terrific leaping grab at the wall to rob a potential home run and put out a would-be Gamecock spark.

In the second, Jones struck out the first two batters he faced before Talmadge LeCroy’s base hit to left field. Attempting to stretch a single into a double, LeCroy was hosed by Sorrell at second to end the inning.

Things went awry for Jones in the third as he allowed a pair of runs to come home on four singles and a walk.

Will Huffman, TexAgs

A&M swiped six bags on Saturday to set a new season high. Catcher Jackson Appel led the way with three of those steals.

A&M eventually got out of the inning as Blake Jackson lined out to Sdao for the final out.

After that, it was smooth sailing for the sophomore lefty.

Sdao allowed just two hits and no walks while punching out three. Only 15 of his 55 pitches were balls, and seven of his 12 outs came via groundout.

It was a simple display of filling up the strike zone and producing weak contact.

South Carolina starting pitcher Tyler Pitzer entered Saturday with a 1.99 ERA in 22.2 innings.

However, the freshman found out early how potent the Aggie lineup can be.

Gavin Grahovac began the game with a home run to center field on the fourth pitch of the day.

Later in the inning, Hayden Schott notched his fourth and fifth RBI of the series with a base hit that scored Jace LaViolette and Jackson Appel.

Pitzer’s day ended after 2.1 innings when Ted Burton reached base on a throwing error that scored LaViolette to put the Aggies ahead 4-0.

In a similar turn of events, South Carolina reliever Ty Good eased the blow of an abbreviated start.

Good lasted 5.2 innings, allowing only one unearned run on a pair of hits while striking out six.

The lone run off of Good surrendered came after Appel reached on a catcher’s interference and later scored on a groundout from Schott — his third RBI of the game and sixth on the weekend.

Kelii Horvath, TexAgs

Sdao is now 2-0 on the year and owns a 3.32 ERA in 21.2 innings pitched.

Both Sdao and Good ate up the middle innings and saved the bullpens for tomorrow’s finale.

Pitching for the second time in as many days, Evan Aschenbeck allowed a solo home run in the eighth to Gavin Casas, but that was all as the reliable reliever earned a two-inning save while punching out six.

In the ninth, A&M recorded three one-out singles in a row off of Parker Marlatt and Chris Veach. The third single came from Appel to plate LaViolette.

With the win, the Aggies have now won eight straight and own a 28-3 record on the season and an 8-3 record in Southeastern Conference play.

Further, A&M remains two games behind Arkansas in an SEC West race that is heating up.

Looking ahead, the Aggies will shoot for their second straight sweep in tomorrow’s finale at 12:30 p.m. CT.