Texas (KBTX) – On Senior Day at Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park, the No. 4 Texas A&M baseball team defeated No. 2 Arkansas 14-4 in seven innings on Saturday afternoon.
The victory secured the series for the Aggies (44-11, 19-11) over the Razorbacks (43-12, 20-10).
Before the game, Texas A&M honored its 10 seniors: Brock Peery, Evan Aschenbeck, Hank Bard, Hayden Schott, Jace Hutchins, Jackson Appel, Ryan Targac, Ted Burton, Travis Chestnut, and Zane Badmaev for their contributions to the program.
In the seventh inning, with two on and two out, Number 12 Targac pinch-hit and received a standing ovation from the 12th Man.
The senior delivered with an RBI single to left center to seal the series win for the Maroon & White. Chris Cortez improved to 8-2 on the year after tossing three shutout frames in relief to go along with a career-high tying eight strikeouts.
Badmaev followed Cortez with a scoreless inning and a strikeout. Starter Shane Sdao earned a no-decision after allowing four runs over three frames. Chestnut and Schott logged a pair of three-hit performances for the Aggies, while Caden Sorrell, Gavin Grahovac, Jace LaViolette and Burton registered multiple RBI in the win.
LaViolette and Sorrell also recorded multi-hit performances on the afternoon, each finishing 2-for-4 at the plate.
LaViolette gave the Aggies a 2-0 lead in the opening frame as the sophomore lifted a two-run homer over the wall in right.
The long ball was the 28th of the season for the Maroon & White center fielder. After the Razorbacks halved the deficit with a solo home run in the second inning, Sorrell extended the Aggies’ lead to 4-1 with a two-run homer in the bottom half.
The freshman’s eighth home run of the season traveled 359 feet. Arkansas tied the game with a three-run homer in the third, but Braden Montgomery quickly restored the lead for the Maroon & White with a leadoff homer in the bottom half.
The junior’s 26th homer of the year traveled 436 feet to the train tracks in right and left the bat at 109 mph.
The Aggies broke the game open in the sixth inning, scoring six runs to extend their lead to 11-4.
