No. 3 Texas A&M Seals 9-8 Walk-Off Win Against Sam Houston
In a down-to-the-wire game at Blue Bell Park, Kaeden Kent's walk-off walk in the bottom of the ninth sealed the deal for the No. 3 Texas A&M Aggies baseball team, securing their undefeated status with a hard-fought 9-8 win over Sam Houston State.
The game, witnessed by a season-high crowd of 7,342, added another thrilling element to the night.
The victory marked a significant milestone for the Aggies, as they improved to a remarkable 17-0 start, third-best in program history. With the win, Texas A&M snapped a two-game skid against the Bearkats and extended their series record to 91-43-2 all-time.
Ali Camarillo's bloop single loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth, setting the stage for Kent's heroics, clinching the win for the Maroon & White. Pinch-hitter Caden Sorrell's walk-off run, following his lead-off walk, sealed the deal.
On the mound, Chris Cortez picked up his second win year after entering the game in the eighth. The flame-throwing right-hander allowed one run on three hits while striking out two.
"The guy on the pitching staff I'm super proud of is Chris Cortez," said A&M coach Jim Schlossnagle. "The guy has been through a lot here, and he knows what the expectations are. Nobody has higher expectations than him, and to come in, give up a homer to tie the game but continue to throw strikes. ... I'm just really proud of Cortez."
Isaac Morton made his first start of the season, but it was more so in a bullpen outing as he only tossed two frames. The Bearkats fought their back against six other A&M pitchers from the bullpen, plating four in the sixth inning to trail by one heading into the eighth.
No A&M pitcher got more than six outs.
"It felt like we were having tryouts," a frustrated Schlossnagle said. "Need to find out in the games because the games will tell us. The analytics of a pitch are awesome, but the hitter is going to tell us how good the pitcher is."
Sophomore outfielder Jace LaViolette led the offensive charge with a pair of solo home runs in the first and second inning, tying him for eighth all-time in program history. Tusday was his third multi-home run game of the year and gave him the team lead in long balls.
Freshman Gavin Grahovac also made a significant impact, contributing with a 3-for-5 performance and a crucial two-run homer. Additionally, Camarillo and Braden Montgomery logged multi-hit games, further fueling the Aggies' offensive prowess.
Despite the Bearkats comeback attempts, the Aggies held on to their lead with timely runs, maintaining their undefeated streak. The victory also showcased Texas A&M's resilience, recording walk-off wins in back-to-back games for the first time since 2012.
"It was a good one, but it was stressful," Camarillo said. "Next game, I say we win by a little bit more than a walk-off."
The Aggies prepare for their SEC Opener against No. 8 Florida in Gainesville on Friday night at 5:30 p.m. A walk-off win can happen against programs like Sam Houston State and Rhode Island.
It'll be harder against an oppenent built to travel to Omaha this summer, but Kent says the team has a saying called 'Opening Day, every day,' to them fresh.
Said Kent: ""After tonight, it's over, and we're looking forward to Friday."