COLLEGE STATION, Texas – With the score tied at 5-5 and extra innings about to begin, Saturday’s contest between the No. 5 Texas A&M baseball team and No. 11 Cal State Fullerton was postponed until 12:05 p.m. Sunday.
Game three of the series will begin approximately 30 minutes after the conclusion of game two. In game three of the series, Texas A&M will send RHP Rafael Pineda (2-0, 1.00 ERA) to the mound.
Just as they did in the series opener, the Aggies put the Titans on their heels by jumping out to an early lead with three runs in the bottom of the second. Senior first baseman Jacob House began the inning by reaching base on catcher’s interference and was quickly joined by designated hitter Mitchell Nau, who singled in the next at bat.
With one out in the frame, sophomore centerfielder Krey Bratsen plated both runners with a two-run triple to right center, extending his season-long hitting streak to seven games. Senior Scott Arthur made it 3-0 Aggies as he brought home Bratsen with an RBI groundout in the next at bat.
The Titans fought back in the top of the fourth, using back-to-back doubles to begin the inning and kick start a two-run rally against A&M starter Ross Stripling.
Junior right fielder Tyler Naquin put the Aggies ahead 4-2 in the bottom of the fifth with an RBI sacrifice bunt.
The Titans took their first lead of the series in the top of the sixth as third baseman Richy Pedroza scored two runs with an RBI single and was able to come around to score himself as the Aggies committed two errors. The inning left Cal State Fullerton with a 5-4 advantage and signaled the end of the afternoon for Stripling.
Cal State Fullerton threatened to extend its lead in the top of the seventh, loading the bases with just one out before junior Aggie reliever Kyle Martin induced a 4-6-3 double play to escape the jam.
House continued his trend of getting big hits for the Aggies, as the Mansfield, Texas, notched a one-out RBI double in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game at 5-5.
After the Aggies got a runner to third but could not score the game winner in the bottom of the ninth, the game was headed to extra innings before a 1:35 rain delay postponed the conclusion of the contest.
