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No. 3 Texas A&M baseball team sweeps ranked opponent for first time since 2016, crushing No. 6 Vanderbilt

shaun holkko
·2 min read

For the first time in eight years, the Texas A&M baseball team has swept a ranked opponent.

The No. 3 Aggies (32-4, 11-4 SEC) finished off a dominant weekend versus No. 6 Vanderbilt (26-10, 8-7) on Sunday afternoon at Blue Bell Park, winning 12-6. Texas A&M has won 12 of its last 13 matchups. If not for a 6-5 loss in the series finale at South Carolina on April 7, the Aggies would be on a 13-game winning streak and winners of 15-of-16 games.

Texas A&M outscored the Commodores 36-6 combined over three contests. The last time the Aggies swept a ranked opponent was in 2016 against another SEC rival, Mississippi State. Texas A&M shutout Vanderbilt 15-0 in seven innings on Friday evening and 9-0 on Saturday night.

After going scoreless for the first 17 frames of action, the Commodores jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the top of the second on Sunday. Then the Aggies tallied 9 unanswered runs with 2 in the third, 6 in the fifth and 1 in the sixth. Texas A&M added 3 more in the eighth and ultimately doubled up Vanderbilt.

Sophomore left-handed pitcher Justin Lamkin had a rough start, tossing 1.2 innings and allowing 4 hits, 4 runs and 1 walk with 1 strikeout on 46 pitches. Junior right-hander Chris Cortez (5-1) earned another win in relief and was lights out.

He tossed 4.1 frames, giving up 1 hit, 1 walk and 1 hit by pitch with 8 Ks on 77 pitches. Senior LHP Evan Aschenbeck earned his fifth save after pitching the final 3.0 innings and allowing 2 hits, 2 runs and 1 walk with 2 punchouts on 46 pitches.

The Aggies conclude their five-game homestand at Olsen Field on Tuesday at 4 p.m. against Air Force. Then Texas A&M hits the road for a three-game SEC set at No. 17 Alabama that begins Thursday at 6 p.m.

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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: No. 3 Texas A&M baseball team sweeps ranked opponent for first time since 2016, crushing No. 6 Vanderbilt