Georgia Baseball: Aggies Squeak By Bulldogs In 10 Innings
By Danny Bishop
Krey Bratsen’s run-scoring single provided a 2-1 walk-off victory in 10 innings for Texas A&M over Georgia Saturday in front of a season-high 6,112 fans at Blue Bell Park.
Both starting pitchers posted career-highs in innings pitched but neither factored in the decision. Aggie right-hander Daniel Mengden tossed eight innings and allowed one run on six hits with no walks and eight strikeouts. Georgia junior left-hander Patrick Boling capped an impressive week by striking out 10 over 6.2 innings Saturday. He allowed one run and had two walks. This past Tuesday, he struck out four in a relief appearance that lasted 2.1 innings against Appalachian State.
The Aggies (13-7, 2-0 SEC) took a 1-0 lead with a two-out run-scoring single by Blake Allemand in the third. Jace Statum reached on a leadoff walk, stole second and scored on Allemand’s base hit.
Georgia (8-11, 0-2 SEC) was held hitless until two outs in the fourth. Senior shortstop Kyle Farmer and sophomore centerfielder Hunter Cole registered back-to-back singles. Then, freshman first baseman Daniel Nichols was retired on a flyout. The Bulldog broke through in the fifth. Senior Brett DeLoach reached on a pop up to shortstop that Mikey Reynolds lost in the wind and was ruled a single. Then with one out, freshman designated hitter Jess Posey smashed an RBI-double to right as DeLoach raced home. Mengden came back to strike out the next two hitters to give him six at that point.
In the 10th, Statum drew another leadoff walk, this time from sophomore Jared Walsh. Reynolds bunted him to second and then Bratesen followed with the game-winner. Texas A&M closer Jason Jester (2-0) notched the win with two scoreless innings of relief. Walsh tok the loss to fall to 1-2.
“We’re better than this offensively, and it’s disappointing we couldn’t support the tremendous job our pitchers did today starting with Patrick Boling,” said Georgia coach David Perno. “He’s been really good his last few outings, and he’s gotten no support and no wins out of it. Jarrett Brown and Jared Walsh did a good job too. We start a freshman at designated hitter today who has got six at bats, Jess Posey, and he’s the only guy that gets a big hit. We need to have a sense of urgency Sunday and our veterans need to realize that it’s up to them. Some of them have to start getting a big hit so we’ll see. Their guy today was good, but we had six 1-2-3 innings and no walks. We walk three and two of them scored.”
The series concludes Sunday with first pitch slated for 1:05 p.m. ET and be televised by Fox Southwest. Sophomore right-hander Luke Crumley (1-2, 6.91 ERA) will start for the Bulldogs while the Aggies counter with sophomore right-hander Jason Freeman (1-0, 1.80 ERA).