The 12th Man blows bubbles after an Aggie run scores against Air Force on Tuesday at Blue Bell Park.
Texas A&M players celebrate after a home run against Alabama on Friday at Sewell-Thomas Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Top-ranked Texas A&M baseball team downed No. 14 Alabama twice Friday, to take their fifth consecutive Southeastern Conference series, doubling up the Crimson Tide, 28-14.
The Aggies took the morning game, 10-5, while handling the Crimson Tide in the afternoon contest, 18-9.
A&M (35-4, 13-4) launched eight home runs in the Friday doubleheader, which began at 11 a.m., due to the weather postponement of Thursday’s series opener. Freshman left fielder Caden Sorrell collected two in the opening win, including a grand slam in the fifth inning.
Aggie ace Ryan Prager opened the morning game with an uncharacteristically shaky start. The Aggies found themselves in a 5-0 hole after four innings, with four Crimson Tide (24-15, 6-11) runs charged to Prager. He was lifted after three innings, marking his second-shortest outing of the season. Prager lasted 2 1/3 innings in a loss to Florida to open the conference slate.
Alabama posted seven hits and worked two walks on Prager, who struck out one batter.
Retribution came quickly for A&M with a six-run top of the fifth. It was the fourth time in the last five games A&M had put up six runs in an inning.
The big inning was bolstered by Sorrell’s grand slam, his first to leave the yard of the game, putting the Aggies up 6-5. His fourth college home run traveled 378 feet with an exit velocity of 107 miles per hour.
A&M closed out the first game with a pair of home runs in the sixth from outfielder Braden Montgomery and catcher Jackson Appel. Sorrell ended the scoring with a solo shot in the top of the seventh.
Reliever Chris Cortez (6-1), coming off an SEC pitcher of the week award, picked up the win in 2 1/3 innings of work. He allowed one run on two hits and struck out two. Left hander Shane Sdao finished out the game without allowing a run on three hits and striking out five.
A&M appeared to be on the path to winning by way of run-rule early in the second game, posting eight runs in the second inning. The Aggies sent a string of 10 consecutive batters to the plate without the Crimson Tide recording an out during the scoring onslaught.
The big inning began with a three-run home run by Hayden Schott that traveled 384 feet to left field, his fifth of the season.
Alabama chipped away with four runs in the bottom of the second, but a home run by leadoff man Gavin Grahovac in the fifth capped off a five-run insurance streak for the Aggies that spanned the fourth and fifth innings. Montgomery and outfielder Jace LaViolette both hit multi-run homers in the seventh and ninth, respectively.
Both teams combined to hit 13 home runs in the two games.
The Aggies used five arms in the second game, beginning with starter Tanner Jones. Coming off his best outing as an Aggie against Vanderbilt, Jones allowed five earned runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings. Brock Peery earned his second win of the season after a scoreless inning and was followed by Evan Aschenbeck for 2 1/3 and Weston Moss in the ninth. Aschenbeck gave up two runs on three hits.
Due to further threat of inclement weather Saturday in Tuscaloosa, the final game of the series has been moved to noon. Aggie left hander Justin Lamkin (2-1, 4.19 ERA) is slated to start opposite left handed starter Zane Adams (3-2, 11-8). Lamkin is looking to work past four innings for the first time in his last three starts.
