Box Score
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Saturday's pregame ceremonies before the Yale and Texas A&M baseball game were of presidential proportions, as Eli alum and former U.S. Commander-in-Chief George H.W. Bush threw out first pitches to commemorate the two programs meeting this weekend.
Following a trip to the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum earlier in the day, the Bulldogs (0-2) found themselves in front of another huge crowd in Blue Bell Park – even bigger than Friday night.
The Aggies bested the Elis, 13-0, with 7,322 fans in attendance to see the second game of the three-game set. Having President Bush on-hand was another selling point to come out to the ballpark on Saturday.
In his first collegiate start, freshman Scott Politz (Austin, Texas) picked up the loss for the Bulldogs. The right-hander allowed four earned runs (five total) on seven hits over 4.1 innings on the mound. He added two strikeouts and three walks to his outing.
Four different players had hits for Yale, including juniors Richard Slenker (Pound Ridge, N.Y.) and Andrew Herrera (Allendale, N.J.), who begin the season on two-game hitting streaks. The Bulldogs had opportunities, however, leaving 10 runners on base against A&M pitchers.
"This was one to forget. We battled them for four innings, but then made mistakes and they had a huge inning," said head coach John Stuper, referring to A&M's seven-run tally in the fifth inning. "They are as fine a hitting team as I have seen in college in my 24 years at Yale."
The Aggies recorded 18 hits in the game, with four players having multi-hit performances. Ryne Birk led A&M at the dish, going 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Seven players had RBI hits for the home team.
"They also have a bullpen full of power arms. Guys routinely throwing 94 to 97 miles per hour. It's almost like a big league bullpen staff," said Stuper.
Senior Chris Lanham (Houston, Texas), freshman Sam Boies (Naples, Fla.), and sophomores Drew Scott (Henrico, Va.) and Tyler Duncan (Newport Beach, Calif.) saw relief innings for the Bulldogs, combining for five strikeouts in 3.2 innings of work.
Seniors Nate Adams (St. Louis, Mo.) and Tom O'Neill (Baltimore, Md.) each added singles in the loss. The Elis showed patience at the plate, drawing eight total walks in the game.
The best scoring chance for Yale came in the fifth inning with the bases loaded and one out. A leadoff single by O'Neill, followed by walks for freshmen Simon Whiteman (Trumbull, Conn.) and Benny Wanger (Waban, Mass.). A fly-out by Tom Ruddy (Sparta, N.J.) and strikeout by Slenker ended the threat.
"I am interested to see how we bounce back tomorrow. It will be a gut check for us," said Stuper.
The Bulldogs play No. 4 Texas A&M in the series final on Sunday, with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. (ET). Junior righty Chasen Ford (Lake Forest, Calif.) is expected to get the start for the Elis, as they look for a program-defining upset. The game can be seen on WatchESPN or the SEC Network.
Filed by Steve Lewis, Yale Sports Publicity
