Offense continues to roll as A&M run-rules Sam Houston again, 13-3

Game #40: Texas A&M 13, Sam Houston 3 (7 innings)
Records: Texas A&M (24-16, 8-10), Sam Houston (8-33, 2-13)
WP: Aiden Sims (1-0)
LP: Cole Marthiljohni (2-2)
Box Score

Texas A&M and Sam Houston are trending in opposite directions.

The Aggies are finding their groove, while the Bearkats are in a rut that will likely last for the remainder of the year.

That much was evident in A&M's 13-3 run-rule of SHSU on Tuesday evening at Blue Bell Park.

"They've put in a lot of work," A&M head coach Michael Earley said of his club. "When you've got a group of guys that you really believe in that can hit, it's only a matter of time. When they're all struggling at once, you felt like, 'OK, maybe they'll all get it going at the same time,' and a lot of them have made adjustments we've asked them to make."

With the Lone Star Showdown officially on deck, the Ags are victors of 10 of their last 11. Meanwhile, the Bearkats watched their skid reach double digits.

Additionally, it's A&M's second seven-inning run rule of the neighbors to the east of the month, joining a 14-1 shellacking in Huntsville on April 8.

"I was super happy with our focus and just taking care of business," Earley said. "Every game is important. That game right there was no less important than the Arkansas game, so I was happy and proud of them. You play the game. You don't do anything else."

Gavin Lyons, Aiden Sims and Clayton Freshcorn combined to keep the Bearkats scoreless and to just one hit before Peyton Smith's lackluster 0.1-inning outing to begin the seventh.

All three of Sam Houston's runs were charged to Smith, but the offense still ensured the mercy rule went into effect with two in the bottom half as the proceedings fittingly finished on a wild pitch.

"It's hard to keep a team down," Earley admitted. "Those guys over there, they're having their struggles, but they're tough. They're scrappy, and I know they care. You can see it with how they play, so you knew at some point they'd make a push."

Leading A&M's offensive charge was first baseman Blake Binderup, who clubbed two home runs in the rout.

The College Station kids’ pair was just half of the long balls utilized in the pummeling of SHSU.

"It feels really good," Binderup said. "I've got a lot of confidence going up to the plate right now, just because I've had a lot of good at-bats recently. I continue to put my head down and go to work every day, and that's what brings the confidence to me."

"Now, it's just go up there and play and have fun."

Binderup bookended the homer parade with a solo shot in the second and a three-run blast to punctuate a six-run fourth.

Joining him were Caden Sorrell and Terrence Kiel II, who both hit two-run shots in the third and fourth, respectively.

Raegan Huffman, TexAgs

Freshman Terrence Kiel II is now hitting .338 after going 2-for-5 with a home run on Tuesday night.

For Kiel, it was his first collegiate home run.

"I got an up-and-in fastball, and off the bat, I thought it was a pop-up to left field," Kiel said. "The ball just kept going, and I was like, 'Oh, I just got my first collegiate home run.' That felt amazing.

"I've been waiting to take a nice trip around the bases and also get my putt shot with the green jacket on."

Beyond the power surge, Kaeden Kent recorded a two-out RBI single, and Jace LaViolette found a two-run knock. Hayden Schott added a run-scoring single in the seventh before Nathan Tobin scored A&M's 13th run on Tate Hickman's wild pitch.

This type of offensive production has become increasingly expected lately. Over the last 13 games, the Aggies have scored 146 total runs for an average of 11.2.

It's the same type of offense that needs to continue if A&M is to pick off a third road series victory vs. a top-two foe.

"We can't shy away. I know that the storyline is there," Earley said. "Bigger this year probably than it will ever be, and it is what it is.

"We've shown that we can take care of business on the road, and we've shown we can beat really good teams. We've shown we can get beat by teams that aren't so good, so we're just going to go play our brand of baseball."

With Sam Houston now out of the way, the 12th Man is free to focus on this weekend's rivalry renewal in Austin.

In what is likely the most highly anticipated regular-season matchup in the 102-year history of the A&M-Texas baseball rivalry, the Aggies and Longhorns begin a three-game series on Friday night.

"Now that the game's over from today, I'm sure there's a little bit of thoughts creeping into people's minds about where we're going, who we're playing, who our former coach used to be," Binderup said. "At the end of the day, it's just baseball. It's a business trip. We're going to have fun, but also, the goal is to win."

Successful business trips are also becoming a trend.