Texas A&M's SEC Tournament run ends with 4-3 loss to LSU

Game #56: LSU 4, Texas A&M 3
Records: Texas A&M (30-26, 11-19), LSU (43-13, 19-11)
WP: Kade Anderson (8-1)
LP: Myles Patton (3-5)
Save: Anthony Eyanson (1)
Box Score

On Friday night at the Hoover Met, #14 Texas A&M’s run in the Southeastern Conference Tournament and perhaps its season came to an end with a 4-3 defeat to #3 LSU in the quarterfinals.

Battling through injuries, the Aggies fell three games short of a miraculous run to a conference title. 

LSU’s ace Kade Anderson was electric per usual, striking out 12 A&M batters, while allowing three runs on four hits and one walk in six innings of work. To say Anderson had the Ags’ number this season would be an understatement, as he combined for 24 punchouts in two games against the Maroon & White.

Callie Garner, TexAgs

Battling through a broken hand, Jace LaViolette plated two of A&M’s three runs.

On the flip side, the Aggie arms still managed to keep the game within striking distance. It took Myles Patton an inning before he settled in as the first two batters reached on a double and a walk, respectively.

With runners on second and third and one out, Patton forced Ethan Frey to fly a pitch out to right. However, Jamal George dropped the ball at the warning track, and Derek Curiel scored. 

A hitter later, Luis Hernandez grounded out to score Jared Jones to increase the early lead to 2-0. Had George caught the ball in the at-bat before, the groundout would have ended the inning. 

The George dropped fly ball would be the first of the missed opportunities for the Aggies to win the game.

Another squandered chance came in the third when Kaeden Kent could not field a tough ground ball, allowing Daniel Dickinson to reach on an error. Despite being a challenging play, it is one Kent has made and wound up costing the Aggies.

Next batter, Frey hammered a two-strike pitch to right-center for a two-run homer.

Trailing 4-0, the Maroon & White had their backs against the wall with the season on the line. It didn’t take long for them to fight back as Kent and Wyatt Henseler reached base to begin the fourth with a walk and a single, respectively.

Before the game, breaking news came down from TexAgs' own Ryan Brauninger, that despite breaking his hand in Thursday’s game against Auburn, Jace LaViolette would be the designated hitter and bat third for A&M against LSU.

With a warrior-like effort, LaViolette laced a ball under the glove of Jones at first and drove home Kent with a single. Later in the frame, Gavin Kash drove home Henseler on a sac-fly.

Just like that, the Ags cut the Tigers' lead in half.

But, three innings later, the missed chances struck again. 

An opportunity to tie the game in the seventh may be the one the Aggies look back at the most. Kash led off the inning with a triple as a fly ball got past a dive from Chris Stanfield in center field. 

A&M appeared to have tied the game as Ben Royo grounded a ball to third, and Michael Braswell’s throw got past Jones at first. Kash scored, and Royo advanced to third, and the go-ahead run was thought to be 90 feet away.

However, the play was reviewed and overturned for running lane interference on Royo, who appeared to make contact with Jones’ glove. Instead of a tie game with no outs and the go-ahead run on third, the Aggies remained a run behind with one out and the tying run on third. 

Zoe Kelton, TexAgs

Myles Patton earned his 15th start of his junior season on Friday.

The next batter, Kiel, laid down a great bunt to the right side as the Aggies attempted a safety squeeze, but puzzlingly, Kash did not attempt to go home.

Kiel was retired at first, and a batter later, Hayden Schott, who pinch-hit for George in a 1-1 count, struck out to end the frame and stranded Kash on third. 

It will be overshadowed by the loss, but Clayton Freshcorn’s efforts in relief were by far his best outing of the season and kept A&M’s hopes alive. Freshcorn tossed 3.1 scoreless innings, fanning five Tiger batters and allowing nobody to reach base.

Without the performance by Freshcorn, the ninth inning might not have been as interesting as it became.

LaViolette and Bear Harrison struck out to begin the final frame, but just like they have all season, the Ags refused to go down without a fight.

Kash walked, and Royo singled to right-center, which moved pinch-runner Nathan Tobin to third. With two outs, the tying run stood 90 feet away once again. 

Unfortunately for the Maroon & White, Kiel was unable to come up with the heroics as he grounded the ball to shortstop, where Steven Milam flipped to second to get the force out and end the ballgame.

Now, the Tigers will head to the semifinals to face #10 Ole Miss.

Barring a surprise decision from the NCAA Selection Committee on Memorial Day, A&M’s 2025 season likely ended on Friday night in Hoover.