Aggies Walk it Off Against No. 4 Gators Baseball for the Series

The Texas A&M Aggies (28-20, 11-13) knock off No. 4 Florida Gators baseball (37-12, 15-9) on Sunday 3-2 in walk-off fashion to take the series against the Gators in College Station.

Final from College Station #GoGators | Presented by @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/d2cwZUx7up

— Florida Gators Baseball (@GatorsBB) May 7, 2023

Gators jump out in front first

Florida started the day in the batter’s box against Texas A&M and it was an ugly beginning with their bats. They went down in order and two of three batters struck out. Then, Jac Caglianone came to the mound in the bottom of the first and got the first two batters out that he faced. Although, the Aggies got a runner to third base behind a double and a passed ball before the inning ended. Although, Caglianone did not allow the runner to touch home plate.

The second inning is when the Gators had their first chance to score in the contest. They had runners on first and second base with just one out but got nothing as the batter hit into an inning-ending double play.

In the following inning, the Gators struck first. Leading off the inning, Tyler Shelnut blasted a pitch over the left-center field wall to give Florida an early 1-0 lead in College Station.

https://twitter.com/GatorsBB/status/1655284497250672640

Aggies, Gators trade runs in the middle innings.

After giving up a lead-off single, Caglianone got the next two batters out with ease. Unfortunately though for the Gators, he walked the next three Aggies to tie the game at 1 apiece. This run also marked the end of Caglianone’s day. He left the bases loaded for Ryan Slater who came out of the bullpen to replace him in the fourth. And for Slater, it took only took two pitches for him to get out of the inning before any more runs scored.

Although, two innings later the Gators retook the lead. Wyatt Langford led off the sixth with a no-doubt shot over the left field wall that gave the Gators the 2-1 lead.

https://twitter.com/GatorsBB/status/1655298920254144513

But their lead did not last too long. In the bottom half of the sixth, Texas A&M had a leadoff triple to begin. Shortly after, they got a sac fly to tie the game at 2-2.

Aggies take the series on a Gator mistake

Pitching staffs from both teams started to lock in over the final three innings. The seventh and eighth innings were quiet and neither team’s bats could produce the game-winning run.

However, the ninth is where one pitcher made a costly mistake. After the Aggies threw a zero on the board in the top of the ninth, it brought out Brandon Neely for his third inning of the day. He hit the first batter he faced and then gave up a single to move that runner over to third base. Then, facing the final batter, Neely would be called for a balk that brought the game-winning run in for the Aggies.

This run gave the Aggies the 3-2 win on Sunday and the series against the Gators.