COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Reigning SEC Freshman of the Week Zach DeLoach hit for the cycle as the No. 11 Texas A&M Aggies handled the Stephen F. Lumberjacks, 11-4, Tuesday on Blue Bell Park at Olsen Field.
DeLoach also became the eighth Aggie to score five runs in a game, equaling the school record. He added two walks to his 4-for-4 tally at the plate.
The freshman started his historic performance with a first-inning, lead-off home run. The Lewisville, Texas, native added a single in the second and after a walk in the fourth, moved one step closer to the cycle with a double in the fifth. Sitting a triple shy, the freshman narrowly missed a dinger, shooting one off the wall in right-center. DeLoach raced around second and slid into third for the first Aggie cycle since Tyler Naquin against Houston on March 6, 2011.
On the mound, Texas A&M's Dustin Saenz made his Aggie debut working 4.2 innings and allowing one unearned run while fanning three. Nolan Hoffman, Kyle Richardson, Landon Miner, Mason Cole and Christian Roa combined to finish out the game in relief with Richardson getting credit for his first career win.
SCORING SUMMARY
B1 | The Aggie bats wasted no time getting on top of SFA pitching putting up a pair in the first frame. Leadoff hitter and reigning SEC freshman of the week, DeLoach hit his second Aggie homer with an opposite field blast off SFA starter Cole Ridgley (0-1). Michael Helman stayed hot as well after a 5-for-11 weekend ripping a single to center and scoring on a Hunter Coleman double. A&M 2, SFA 0
B2 | DeLoach and Helman combined for the damage again in the second frame. DeLoach started things off with a one-out single and Helman sent a double down the leftfield line, putting A&M up by three after two. A&M 3, SFA 0.
B3 |Texas A&M (4-0) benefited from an SFA error in the third. Cole Bedford came around to score on an RBI single from Baine Schoenvoegel after reaching on a throwing error. A&M 4, SFA 0.
T4 | SFA (0-5) got on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth highlighted by a Jared Martin RBI double. A&M 4, SFA 1.
B4 | The Aggies bested the Jacks output in the bottom half. After DeLoach and Helman both reached, Coleman brought in the lead runner with an RBI groundout followed by a Will Frizzell free walk. Logan Foster came up with the bases loaded and drove in two with a single to the gap in left-center. A&M 7, URI 1
B5 | DeLoach scored his fourth run and the Aggies ninth in the fifth, coming around to score on a Shewmake RBI knock. A&M 8, SFA 1
B7 | After DeLoach completed his cycle to begin the seventh, Helman worked a walk. Braden Shewmake tried to stretch a triple into an inside-the-park homer, getting thrown out at the plate, but he drove in two. A&M 9, SFA 1.
T8 | SFA put up three runs, one earned, off Aggie reliever Mason Cole. A&M 10, SFA 4.
B8 | George Janca came around to score on a wild pitch. DeLoach was stranded on third, coming 90 feet from a record-breaking sixth run of the game. A&M 11, SFA 4.
NOTES
· The top three in the Aggie lineup (DeLoach, Helman and Shewmake) combined to hit 8-for-12 on the day with two doubles, two triples, four walks, one home run and eight runs scored.
· Before DeLoach’s five-run game the last Aggie to do so was Luke Anders in 2008.
NEXT UP
The Aggies play host to Cornell for a three-game set, beginning Friday with a 6:30 p.m. game at Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.
TEXAS A&M QUOTES
Head Coach Rob Childress
On Zach DeLoach’s cycle…
“I can’t tell you when the last one was. We were talking about it, it was probably Tyler Naquin. It’s a pretty special deal, doesn’t happen very often and being a part of that is pretty nice.”
Freshman CF Zach DeLoach
On the game…
“Coach (Bolt) told me to set the tone, told us all to set the tone and we came out blazing hot after that five home run game against Rhode Island. We just came out and did our thing and set with our approach, really competitive in the box and that’s just how the night went.”
On his approach at the plate…
“I think with our team especially, when we get in the box and we are ready to go we are looking for that one fastball and we are ready to drop the ball. I think more than anything we are just more prepared.”
Freshman RHP Dustin Saenz
On his first career start…
“It was a good start. I couldn’t have done it without my teammates. The defense behind me was great. I was a little bit nervous, but you get it out the way.”
