Baseball Falls, 3-2, in Extra-Innings Affair with No. 19 Texas A&M

Saturday, April 14

College Station, Texas

1 p.m.

Alabama

21-16, 5-10

Texas A&M

27-9, 8-7

Alabama

Texas A&M

Baseball Falls, 3-2, in Extra-Innings Affair with No. 19 Texas A&M

4/14/2018 5:39:00 PM | Baseball

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A walkoff single in the 11th earned the Aggies the Saturday victory

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Alabama baseball battled back from a 2-0 deficit in the eighth to even things up and send the game to extra innings, but a walkoff single in the bottom of the 11^th secured the 3-2 win for Texas A&M on Saturday. Following the series finale at A&M, the Crimson Tide is now 21-16 overall and 5-10 in Southeastern Conference play.

Alabama entered the eighth down 2-0, but a solo home run from junior Chandler Taylor cut the deficit in half. In the ninth, the Tide evened things up to send the game to extras. Down to the final out of the afternoon, junior Matt Malkin singled through the right side to keep things alive. The Crimson Tide then pinch-hit a hobbled Chandler Avant, with the senior delivering in a big way by sending an RBI-double to center to even things up at 2-2.

In the 11^th, the Aggies reached the leadoff man on an error before a stolen base and an eventual single crossed the winning run to walk it off. Aggie reliever Nolan Hoffman (4-1) got the win while Tide sophomore Deacon Medders (0-2) suffered the tough loss. Medders contributed a season-long 4.1 innings and allowed only the one unearned run.

Cobie Vance, a junior, led the Tide in hits with a 2-for-6 afternoon that included a double to extend his hitting streak to six games. Taylor finished 1-for-3 with the home run, an RBI, one run scored and a team-high tying two walks.

The Aggies got on the board first with one run in the third. A walk followed by a pair of one-out singles crossed one. Texas A&M would add another tally in the bottom of the fifth to make it a 2-0 contest through five full. A hit by a pitch and a single began the inning to put a pair on before a double steal moved both runners into scoring position. In the next at-bat, a grounder led to a rundown but an errant throw by the Tide went into left to allow the runner from third to cross.

Alabama got on the board in the top of the eighth with the solo home run from Taylor to cut the Aggie lead in half at 2-1. The homer was Taylor's team-leading 11^th of the season and his seventh solo shot in 2018.

In the ninth, UA evened things up to send the game to extras and had an opportunity to take the lead in the 10^th. The Crimson Tide had the bases loaded, but a strikeout swinging stranded them full. In the 11^th, Alabama went in order before Texas A&M walked it off in the home half.

The Crimson Tide will have two days to prepare for a pair of midweek contests coming up. Alabama will first host the Samford Bulldogs on Tuesday evening before welcoming the Alcorn State Braves to Sewell-Thomas Stadium on Wednesday night. Both games are set for a 6 p.m. CT first pitch and will air live on SEC Network+.

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