No. 23 USC’s bats go quiet late, as Texas A&M takes game one 6-3

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Freshman Logan Chapman struck out six in 5.2 innings pitched, but Texas A&M scored a run in the bottom of the sixth, breaking a 3-all tie on its way to a 6-3 win over the Gamecock baseball team Thursday night at Blue Bell Park.

The Aggies struck first with a pair of runs on Braden Shewmake’s two-run home run, his fifth of the season. Aaron Walters then belted his first home run of the season in the second, giving Texas A&M a 3-0 lead.

Carolina got on the board in the third. Matt Williams reached on an infield single to start the frame. He went to second on a passed ball and scored on Noah Campbell’s single to center. The Gamecocks then tied the game with a pair of solo home runs. Madison Stokes deposited his solo shot deep into left field, his ninth of the season, in the fourth. Carlos Cortes then hit his 15th home run of the season to the gap in right in the fifth inning, tying the game at three.

Texas A&M took a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the sixth as Will Frizzell’s comebacker to Logan Chapman went off his glove and took a nasty spin to sneak into right field, scoring Shewmake.

The Aggies added insurance in the eighth with RBI base hits from Logan Foster and Allonte Wingate.

Campbell and Stokes had two hits apiece for the Gamecocks. Chapman took the loss, but he struck out six Aggies in 5.2 innings. He allowed eight hits and four runs with a walk.

South Carolina and Texas A&M continue the three-game series on Friday night (May 18) at 6:30 p.m. CDT (7:30 p.m. EDT).