BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Down to its last strike in the top of the ninth, Auburn scored two runs to force extra innings and another in the 10th to defeat Texas A&M, 6-5, Friday night at Blue Bell Park.
"We talked about how this needed to be a throwdown," head coach Butch Thompson said. "We got back to some clean baseball, and we just fought. What I care about is how these guys are fighting, and we get a chance to throw down again tomorrow."
With a full count and runners on first and second, Brooks Carlson shot a fastball past the Aggie first baseman and into the right field corner to score Blake Rambusch and Josh Hall and tie the game, 5-5.
"The biggest thing late in the game was just trying to get the at-bat to the next guy, not trying to do too much in a big situation," Carlson said. "We did just that and I am proud to be a part of that. That was a team win.
"It's special," Carlson added. "I've always wanted to be a part of something like this. Especially in my last year, it's an absolute blessing to do something like this."
After Jordan Armstrong faced the minimum in the top of the ninth thanks to a pair of strikeouts and Nate LaRue throwing out one of his two runners on the night, Rambusch came back around in the 10th and drove in LaRue with the game-winning RBI single through the right side.
"We stayed in the game," Rambusch said. "Everyone kept their heads up, and when you do that, you never know what can happen late in the game. It was really just team at-bats. I was just trying to get a barrel on the ball with runners in scoring position."
Armstrong (2-1, 3.63) pitched three scoreless innings with four strikeouts and earned the win. Blake Burkhalter took the mound in the 10th and didn't give the Aggies a chance as he struck out the five through seven hitters looking. The save was Burkhalter's fourth of the season.
"It was an unbelievable feeling," Armstrong said. "Coming into the game, I knew I just had to go out there and compete and give my team a chance.
"When we came into the ninth inning, I knew I just had to throw another zero up on the board to give us some momentum," Armstrong added. "I believed in everyone that came up to the plate. I thought that the comeback was going to happen, and it did."
Texas A&M (13-8, 2-2 SEC) started the scoring in the bottom of the second. Austin Bost hit a leadoff double and advanced to third on a wild pitch before scoring on a sacrifice fly that Kason Howell made a great catch on in deep center field.
However, Auburn (16-6, 2-2 SEC) answered immediately with a two-out rally in the top of the third. Mike Bello drew a leadoff walk to start the inning before Howell, Sonny DiChiara and Carlson delivered three straight two-out RBI hits to give the Tigers a 3-1 lead.
Hayden Mullins was forced to leave the game after being hit by a line drive back up the middle in the bottom of the fourth. After inheriting a pair of runners with nobody out, Carson Skipper got a ground ball double play and eventually stranded the bases loaded.
The Aggies took advantage of a walk and hit-by-pitch to plate a pair of runs and tie the game in the bottom of the fifth. Rambusch saved two more runs with a back-handed stab and throw across the diamond to end it.
The Tigers immediately threatened to reclaim the lead with the bases loaded and one out in the sixth, but a pair of check-swing strike three calls left three stranded and the score tied, 3-3.
Texas A&M hit a two-run home run to take a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the frame, and Auburn went down in order in the seventh and eighth innings.
Rambusch extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a one-out single in the ninth to bring the tying run to the plate. DiChiara ripped a single to left to set the stage for Carlson's aforementioned game-tying, two-RBI double, and Rambusch eventually came back around in the 10th to drive in the game winner.
Rambusch collected multiple hits for the sixth straight game and the 12th time this season, and DiChiara matched a season high with three hits. Carlson collected multiple hits for the third time in the last five games and drove in a season-high three runs.
Game two between the Tigers and Aggies is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. CT.
Tigers win ‘throwdown’ in series opener at Texas A&M
