Texas A&M Manager Decisions That Changed the Game vs. Lamar

The Texas A&M Aggies will get their participation in the NCAA Tournament off to the right start, winning their first contest. The Aggies earned a No. 12 national seed in the tournament and the chance to host the College Station Regional on their home field and will get their action started with a win.

The Aggies got their tournament action started with the four seed in the regional, taking on the Lamar Cardinals. And Texas A&M would make its way to the winners' bracket of the regional after earning a 7-5 win over Lamar on Friday afternoon.

While Texas A&M got out of its first game with a win over the Cardinals, it was not without some struggles, with the Aggies having to overcome a 5-0 deficit. The Aggies were able to turn the game around courtesy of a few key decisions from head coach Michael Earley. Here's a look at two of those decisions that turned the game around in Texas A&M's favor.

Relief Decisions Pay Off

Texas A&M Aggies pitcher Shane Sdao (38) pitches during an NCAA baseball game at Condron Family Ballpark at Alfred A. McKethan Field in Gainesville, FL. | Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Earley turned to redshirt junior pitcher Shane Sdao to start the first game of the College Station Regional against the Cardinals; however, the veteran southpaw wouldn't have the performance that was likely expected, only going three innings.

Lamar was able to get to Sdao early, scoring a run in the first inning, and would keep the charge going, scoring four runs off of him, three of which were earned. Sdao would end his day after starting the fourth inning by giving up a solo home run, surrounding a total of six hits, while striking out four.

After that big hit given up by Sdao, Earley would go to the bullpen and bring out sophomore Gavin Lyons to settle things down in the fourth. Lyons' action started by retiring the first two batters he faced before giving up a solo shot to dig the Aggies hole to 5-0.

However, Lyons would settle things down with that being just one of two hits that he would surrender in his four innings of action. Lyons would punch out four batters, shutting down the Cardinals' offense to give the Aggies a chance down the stretch.

And while the Aggies pushed into the eighth inning all squared at five, Earley went back to the bullpen to start the top of the eighth, giving the ball to junior Clayton Freshcorn. The junior would be lights out in his two actions of work, giving up no hits while striking out a batter to close out the game.

Eighth-Inning Pinch-Hit Secures Win

Texas A&M Aggies center fielder Travis Chestnut (4) walks off after striking out against the Tennessee Volunteers. | Dylan Widger-Imagn Images

The Aggies headed into the eighth inning, finally squared after trailing throughout the entire ballgame, and with the score all at five, Earley went to his bench to find a spark.

After a lead-off double to start the inning from Ben Royo, Travis Chesnut would come out of the dugout to pinch hit for Boston Kellner. And Chesnut would reach first base after laying down a sac-bunt that forced an error by the Cardinals pitcher and allowed Royo to score from second for the go-ahead run to take a 6-5 lead.

Chestnut would finish what he started, coming all the way around to score from third from a bases-loaded sac-fly by Chris Hacopian. The run scored from Chestnut would give the Aggies a 7-5 which would be enough of a lead to earn the victory.

The Aggies now await the winner between the USC Trojans and the Texas State Bobcats. The winner of the matchup between the Aggies and the winner of USC and Texas State will face off on Saturday, May 30, for a spot in the College Station Regional final.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google