Aggies pick up win over Vanderbilt in series opener

NASHVILLE, Tennessee – Texas A&M pitcher Nathan Dettmer weaved seven innings of two-hit baseball as the Aggies topped the No. 22 Vanderbilt Commodores in Thursday’s series opener at Hawkins Field, 5-1.

Dettmer (5-2) yielded just a first-inning run on two hits and three walks while striking out six to earn his third consecutive win against a top 25 opponent. The Aggie right-hander bested then-No. 10 Georgia and then-No. 3 Arkansas in his last two outings.

The Aggies pounded on the Commodores in the first inning with a leadoff home run by Kole Kaler. The Commodores tied the game in the home half of the first.

Trevor Werner put Texas A&M (26-14, 11-8 SEC) ahead for good in the fifth with an RBI single. Troy Claunch added an RBI single in the sixth and the Aggies scored two more in the ninth.

Jacob Palisch earned his fourth save of the season, scattering three hits over 2.0 scoreless innings.

Austin Bost and Kaler each had two hits for the Aggies.

Texas A&M improved to 10-3 on the season against ranked opponents, including 6-2 on the road.

TOP AGGIE PERFORMERS

Nathan Dettmer – 7.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 6 K – W, 5-2
Kole Kaler – 2-for-5, 1 HR, 2 R, 1 BB
Austin Bost – 2-for-4, 1 2B, 1 BB, 1 RBI
Jacob Palisch – 2.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 0 K – Save, 4

GAME SUMMARY

T1| Kole Kaler started the game by launching a 1-2 offering over the fence in rightfield for his first home run as an Aggie. A&M 1, VU 0

B1| Enrique Bradfield was issued a four-pitch walk, stole second base and came home on groundouts by Jack Bulger and Spencer Jones. A&M 1, VU 1

T5| Troy Claunch worked a seven-pitch walk and Ryan Targac followed with a five-pitch base on balls. Trevor Werner lofted a hit over the glove of a leaping Vanderbilt second baseman to plate Claunch on the single. A&M 2, VU 1

T6| With one out, Brett Minnich through the right side of the infield, advanced to second on a wild pitch and scored on a Claunch single to rightfield. A&M 3, VU 1

T9| Jordan Thompson drew a leadoff walk and a hit-and-run single through the right side by Kaler put runners on the corners. Rock was hit by a pitch to fill the bags with Ags and Jack Moss knocked in Thompson with a sac fly to centerfield. Austin Bost capped off the scoring, gapping a double to left-center to knock in Kaler. A&M 5, VU 1

UP NEXT Texas A&M and Vanderbilt return to Hawkins Field for game two of the series Friday at 6:02 p.m.