Aggies Stanley Tucker Plays Hero In Comeback Win Against LSU
All it takes is one man to change the outcome of a game.
On Sunday, Stanley Tucker just so happened to be the "the man" for Texas A&M at the plate.
Behind a clutch RBI single from the junior outfielder in the eighth inning, the No. 15 Aggies avoided the sweep against top-ranked LSU to open conference play with an 8-6 win. A&M will now enjoy a quick breather before hitting the road for the first time this season for a three-game series against No. 2 Tennessee.
“Stanley is such a beloved guy,” A&M head coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “He brings a lot of energy to the team, and we need that right now. They made it simple when they brought the lefty in."
Entering the game in the fifth inning for Tab Tracy, Tucker finished 2-for-2 at the plate with a pair of singles and RBIs. His clutch hitting provided the spark needed to complete the comeback late against one of the more dynamic teams in college baseball.
“The win was important. We are locked into what’s important now and it is important because that game was today," Tucker said. "We flushed the two games before that we were not fortunate to win, but we came in today and knew that the game today is what was important. Going in next week we now have a confidence boost, and we are ready to keep going for the rest of the year."
After dropping back-to-back games to begin the weekend, the Aggies (14-6, 1-2 SEC) bested LSU starter Thatcher Hurd to exit the game before expected. Jack Moss homered in the first inning, while Kaeden Kent scored on a wild pitch in the second.
After being blanked by Tigers' ace Paul Skenes Friday evening, A&M attacked Hurd to call it an early Sunday. The right-hander lasted just 3.1 innings and allowed two runs on four hits while striking out four.
While LSU manager Jay Johnson wasn't concerned with Hurd's outing, the same couldn't be said for Aggies' No. 3 pitcher Chris Cortez. LSU (18-2, 2-1 SEC) jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning thanks to three walks and several timely hits. A two-run RBI from Josh Pearson plated Dylan Crews and Tommy White, while a two-out RBI single from Jordan Thompson scored Gavin Dugas.
Cortez only recorded five outs before getting the hook. He walked four and struck out three while allowing five runs to cross home plate.
“I think it’s pretty obvious, but we have a chance to shuffle some things around, maybe get better both in the bullpen and starting pitching-wise,” Schlossnagle said. “We have a lot of re-evaluation to do, but that comes at the cost of all of the games having value.”
Freshman Justin Lampkin kept the bullpen relatively quiet Sunday afternoon thanks to his fastball-sinker combination. He lasted 4.1 innings and allowed four hits against one walk. The left-hander also struck five, giving A&M a chance to mount a comeback.
The Aggies plated two more runs in the fifth thanks to an RBI double from Hunter Haas. A&M seemed poised to tie the game in the seventh inning when Tucker slid into third base on a wild pitch. The umpire initially ruled that White intentionally pushed Tucker off the bag, but upon further review, it was ruled that the tag was too powerful.
“I thought their third baseman, who’s a big guy, and Stanley, who’s a little guy, just dove hard to go try and tag him," Schlossnagle said. "I don’t think he was intentionally doing it.”
Will Johnston picked up a pair of strikeouts in the eighth inning to keep the Tigers' lead at two. After that, A&M's bats came to life. Austin Bost led things off with a single while Ryan Targac drew a walk. Kasen Wells drew a two-out walk to plate Bost, thus allowing Tucker to come to the plate.
On a 2-0 count, Tucker singled past a diving White to score Targac and Jace LaViolette, putting the Aggies on top for the first time Sunday afternoon. Haas picked up his third RBI with an infield single to add insurance entering the ninth.
Tigers designated hitter Jared Jones hit a one-out single to center in the top of the ninth, but it was the only hit of the frame. Johnston struck out Jordan Thompson for his third punchout of the night before forcing a flyout to Jordan Thompson to end the game.
“Every single win in this league counts, and we need to avoid sweeps at all costs, especially at home," Schlossnagle said. "This says a lot about the character of our team. We were down a bunch of players, and you have guys like Stanley Tucker who give you a little bit of spark, and Justin Lamkin who was amazing.”
A&M returns to Blue Bell Park Tuesday at 6 p.m. to face Rice. The Aggies have faced the Owls twice this season, picking up a 13-1 win during the Shriners Children's College Classic at Minute Maid Park, and another at Reckling Park the following week.
Subscribe to the Texas A&M Aggies Daily Blitz Podcast!
Follow AllAggies.com on Facebook and Twitter!
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Aggies? Click Here to Subscribe to the All Aggies Newsletter
Want even more Texas A&M Aggies News? Check out the SI.com team page here