LEXINGTON, Ky. — The No. 18 Texas A&M Aggies erased a three-run deficit to claim the series opener over the Kentucky Wildcats, 5-3, Friday evening at Kentucky Proud Park.
Braden Shewmake keyed the comeback, batting 3-for-5 with two runs, one home run and three RBI. Shewmake hit the game-tying home run in the fifth inning and the go-ahead single in the seventh. Mikey Hoehner was 2-for-3 with one walk. Bryce Blaum was 1-for-4 with one hit-by-pitch, two runs and one double.
Aggie starter John Doxakis labored through 5.0 innings, yielding three runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out five. Bryce Miller (3-0) scattered one hit and one walk while striking out two in 1.0 scoreless inning to earn the win. Joseph Menefee worked 2.0 blank frames, allowing one hit while striking out three. Kasey Kalich picked up his sixth save of the season with two strikeouts in the ninth.
UP NEXT
The second game of the series is set for 1:02 p.m. Central.
SCORING SUMMARY
B1| Ryan Shinn golfed a 3-1 offering over the 320 sign down the rightfield line for a solo home run. UK 1, A&M 0.
B3 | The Aggie leftfielder and shortstop misplayed a lazy fly ball by Breydon Daniel into a single and Shinn made the Aggies pay with a two-run home run to right-center. Shinn became the first player to hit multiple home runs in a game at Kentucky Proud Park. UK 3, A&M 0.
T4 | Texas A&M regrouped after Kentucky centerfielder Jaren Shelby made a heroic diving effort to rob Ty Coleman of extra bases in the left-center gap. With two outs, Logan Foster doubled to rightfield and Mikey Hoehner followed with a five-pitch walk. Hunter Coleman avenged his brother, stroking a double to centerfield to knock in Foster. UK 3, A&M 1.
T5 | Bryce Blaum punched the first pitch of the inning to leftfield for a double, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored when Shewmake blasted a two-run dinger over the rightfield wall. A&M 3, UK 3.
T7 | Blaum was hit by a 2-2 offering and stole second base to set up the inning. Blaum moved to second on a groundout to second base by Cam Blake and came around to score when Shewmake drove a single to centerfield. Jonathan Ducoff kept the train moving with a single through the left side and Ty Coleman knocked in Shewmake with a single to rightfield. A&M 5, UK 3
