Prager's mastery leads Aggies past Wildcats 5-1
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OMAHA, NEB. -- For the first time in program history, Texas A&M is 2-0 at the College World Series.
Ace Ryan Prager threw 6 2/3 hitless innings and didn't give up a run while the Aggie offense put up five runs in the top of the sixth to push No. 3 A&M (51-13) past No. 2 Kentucky (46-15) Monday night before 25,237 at Charles Schwab Field.
The win allows the Aggies to rest until Wednesday, while Kentucky and Florida play in an elimination game tomorrow night.
"It was a great ball game. Tough conditions to hit," A&M coach Jim Schlossnagle said. "Ryan was obviously outstanding."
With the Omaha wind blowing in at better than 20 mph for much of the game, Prager (9-1) pounded the strike zone, daring the WIldcats to swing. Kentucky accommodated, hitting nine fly ball outs and six groundouts while striking out four times against the left-hander.
The Wildcats nearly took the lead in the bottom of the second inning, after A&M got a runner to third base but failed to score in the top half of the frame. With runners on the corners with one out, Prager struck out centerfielder Nolan McCarthy after he failed to lay down two bunts. Right fielder James McCoy, however, did lay down his effort, but catcher Jackson Appel pounced on it and gunned McCoy out on a play that was close enough to be reviewed.
"That was a huge play," Schlossnagle said.
As good as Prager was, Kentucky starter Mason Moore nearly matched him pitch-for-pitch through five innings. But in the top of the sixth, the Aggies opened the floodgates.
Right fielder Jace LaViolette started the inning with a five-pitch walk, the first time A&M's leadoff hitter had reached base all game. Appel followed with a sharp line drive down the right field line for a double, while LaViolette was held at third. The sophomore then immediately started grabbing at his right hamstring, though he was able to stay in the game.
Designated hitter Hayden Schott followed with a single through the left side, scoring both runners and breaking the scoreless tie.
"We were putting good at-bats before that, long at-bats, making him throw pitches, and thankfully it paid off," Schott said. "Our lineup is relentless."
Moore's night ended one batter later, after he walked first baseman Ted Burton on four pitches. Reliever Cameron O'Brien struck out outfield Caden Sorrell, but then gave up a line drive to right that McCoy misplayed, initially coming in and allowing it to fly over his head for a double, scoring Schott to make it 3-0.
Second baseman Kaeden Kent, the hero of A&M's second Super Regional win over Oregon, followed. After a weak popup to shortstop ended A&M's second inning rally, Kent put a much better swing on an O'Brien fastball, hitting it in the left-centerfield gap to score two more runs. Camarillo, who had an excellent read on the hit off the bat, nearly caught Burton at third base as the two scampered home.
"He threw me a heater that got too much of the plate, so I was able to handle it," Kent said.
A 5-0 lead was more than plenty for Prager, but he had to work with a shuffled defense in the bottom of the sixth. LaViolette was removed from the game, causing third baseman Gavin Grahovac to move to left field, Sorrell from left to right, Kent from second to third and Jack Bell entering the game at second.
The changes looked like they were about to backfire in the bottom of the sixth, when Bell threw a potential inning-ending double play ball into left field on his first chance. But the Wildcats' propensity to run immediately backfired, as a potential double steal led Kent towards the bag, where a chopper from catcher Devin Burkes came right to him. Kent stepped on second, then threw across the diamond for a double play to kill the Kentucky threat.
"Making the shift over to third is not as bad as, I think, it seems," he said. "The ball just gets there a little bit faster."
Prager got the first two outs of the bottom of the second, before Kentucky first baseman Ryan Nicholson singled to right. McCarthy followed with a double, putting runners at second and third and bringing Prager's night to a close.
One person who wasn't overly upset about the two hits was Schlossnagle, who was looking ahead to later in the week and a second potential start for Prager.
"Had he kept that going that may have been a decision that I had to think about in the eighth, ninth inning," he said. "More than likely a guy gets a chance to throw a no-hitter in the College World Series, I'm not going to take the ball from him."
The Aggies turned to righthander Josh Stewart, who hadn't pitched the entire postseason, to face pinch-hitter Patrick Herrera. Stewart responded by striking Herrera out on three pitches.
After the game, several A&M players indicated they were well aware of Prager was doing on the mound as the innings wore on. They responded appropriately, following baseball tradition.
"With Prager, I didn't say a word to him," Schott said. "Are you kidding me? You think I'm going to be that guy who goes over and says something? No way, no way. I'm not that guy, no chance."
Stewart worked his way in and out of trouble in the eighth, but lost the shutout bid when Nicholson hit his 26th homer of the season with one out in the bottom of the ninth. That set Kentucky's all-time single-season home run record, but it would be all the Wildcats would have to celebrate. Stewart responded with a groundout to short and a strikeout, his third in 2 1/3 innings of work.
After the best season in program history, Kentucky is now one win away from elimination. Coach Nick Mingione expressed confidence his team would respond to the challenge, but was also complimentary of the Aggies.
"Prager, what an outing, what a time to pitch a game like that. Give him a lot of credit. He kept us off balance. It was the fastball, the breaking ball, the change-up. He just threw an absolute great game," Mingione said. "They had a great offensive approach, especially in the sixth inning, and it was too much for us to overcome."
As for A&M, they will get a much-needed day off and return Wednesday with relievers Chris Cortez and Evan Aschenbeck fresh. In spite of the favorable circumstances, however, the Aggies realize they're a long way from reaching the finals. When informed by AggieYell.com that his team was the first in program history to win their first two games in Omaha, Schlossnagle replied, "I'd rather start 5-0."