COLLEGE STATION -- Dylan Ebbs had the longest outing of his career, tossing 7 1/3 innings, but picked up the tough-luck loss as Texas A&M upset No. 25 Sam Houston State, 3-1. The Bearkats (37-15, 19-8 SLC) will be playing for a third straight Southland Championship this weekend against A&M-Corpus Christi at Don Sanders Stadium.
“I thought it was a well-played game by both teams. The pitching was good and the defense was good,” head coach David Pierce said. “I thought Dylan did a great job. He had a couple of mistakes in the early innings. I'm really proud of the way he competed and the way our team competed. We just came up short tonight.”
The Bearkats scored their only run of the game in the top of the second. Shortstop Corey Toups led off the inning with a single to left field before second baseman Shea Pierce worked a walk. Left fielder Luke Plucheck sacrificed the runners over and Travis Lee drove in the first run on a ground out to first base.
Texas A&M had an immediate response. Aggie third baseman Logan Nottebrok led off the frame with a single to center field. After a fly out, catcher Troy Stein doubled into the gap in left center. A single by left fielder Jace Statum drove both runners in and gave the Aggies a 2-1 lead.
SHSU had a couple of hard hit balls in the third but nothing to show for it. Catcher Anthony Azar hit a hard grounder that was ruled an error and first baseman Ryan O'Hearn lined a ball through the first baseman's legs for another error. With runners on the corners and one out, shortstop Carter Burgess hit a hard liner that was snared by the second baseman. A fielder's choice ground out ended the inning.
Three singles through the right side of the infield allowed the Aggies to tack on another run in the third. First baseman Cole Lankford and right fielder Nick Banks each singled with one out. Bearkat first baseman Ryan O'Hearn made a great catch in foul territory to record the second out but allowed Lankford to advance to third. A single by designated hitter Ryne Birk made the score 3-1.
The Kats had several scoring chances in the middle innings. Pierce led off the fourth inning with a hard hit double down the right field line but he was stranded at second. Azar led off the fifth with a single but was quickly erased on a double play. With two outs in the sixth, right fielder Travis Lee hit a two-out infield single and stole second but was left there.
Ebbs settled in and tossed back-to-back perfect frames in the fourth and fifth innings. The Aggies had two base runners in the sixth and eighth innings but nothing more.
This weekend's series against A&M-Corpus Christi gets started Thursday at 6:30 p.m. It will be the final home series for four seniors; catcher Anthony Azar, left fielder Luke Plucheck and pitchers Alan Scott and Jason Simms.
