In one of the craziest games of the NCAA Tournament and the college baseball season as a whole, Texas A&M took hold of momentum and never let go, defeating Oregon in Game 2 15-9 after scoring nine consecutive runs on seven walks and a Kaeden Hunt grand slam.
Trailing 8-4 heading into the seventh, Oregon pitcher Brock Moore and Jaxon Jordan couldn’t find the strike zone. The irony wasn’t lost on anyone when the Aggies’ struggles on the mound were accounted for, as the tides completely turned in their favor.
Taking a 13-8 lead into the eighth inning, the momentum swing continued as Hayden Schott hit the second two-run home run for the Aggies on the night, adding two on the board for a massive 15-9 lead, combined with the sixth solo shot from Oregon to add a run.
For one of the most patient offenses in the country, the fact that the Aggies were able to walk their way into their first lead since starting the game off at 1-0 nothing in the first isn’t surprising, but this performance was on another level. With 12 hits on the night, Kent’s grand slam was just one of three hits on the night to lead the team, producing five runs, while Hayden Schott finished with four hits and four RBI.
After starting the game in shaky territory, pitcher Shane Sdao immediately left the game after just 11 innings due to an undisclosed injury in the bottom of the first.
This led to head coach Jim Schlossnagle having to use five pitchers from the bullpen, who combined for five runs while allowing three home runs to start the game. Tanner Jones and freshman Kaeden Wilson combined for 77 pitches before A&M gained back the lead, providing Schlossnagle the relief of sending reliable closer Evan Aschenbeck out to the mound to finish things off in the eighth.
As poised and confident as ever, Aschenbeck remained (almost) flawless, recording his ninth save on the year with four strikeouts and just two hits allowed to send Texas A&M to the College World Series for the second time in two seasons.
Texas A&M will now face the Florida Gators, but the date and time are currently unspecified.
GRAND SLAMMMMMMMM!! 💣💣💣#GigEm pic.twitter.com/ZC4Z350Ylb
— Texas A&M Baseball (@AggieBaseball) June 10, 2024
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