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Texas A&M Baseball: Freshman Lead the Way as Aggies Overpower the Pepperdine Waves

By Matthew Bartlett

Apr 16, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; The glove and bat of Toronto Blue Jays first base coach Tim Leiper (34) rests on the grass prior to a game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 16, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; The glove and bat of Toronto Blue Jays first base coach Tim Leiper (34) rests on the grass prior to a game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports /
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Game 1 – Friday, February 24

Texas A&M 3-8-2 / Pepperdine 0-2-0 (expanded box)

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Brigham Hill came into the Pepperdine series one week removed from a six inning, 10 strikeout performance against Bowling Green. Against the Falcons, Hill wasn’t able to locate his fastball well. He adjusted by striking out all 10 batters via the changeup. Hill seemed to have his full repertoire of pitches against the Waves on Friday, and his command was near perfect.

Hill struck out 10 and walked just one in seven and two thirds innings. The Waves only real threat came in the fourth inning. Pepperdine put two runners on with one out, but Hill shut down the threat rather quickly. He struck out the next batter and picked off the man at second, who was caught in a run down.

The Aggies’ deciding run came on a two out rally. In the first inning freshman Braden Shewmake singled with two away. Walker Pennington followed with a walk. Next Jorge Gutierrez, who was hitting in the five hole, drove in Shewmake from second to give Texas A&M a 1-0 lead. They would maintain control from wire to wire, winning the contest 3-0.

Friday Takeaways

After a few blowouts, the Aggies have played two close games back to back. They used seven pitchers against SFA. On Friday they were able to rely on their ace to carry them into the eight inning. Cason Sherrod got the final out of the eight and shut the door in the ninth.

Childress indicated that Sherrod might have earned himself the closers role. He’s been able to weather tough situations early on this season, while Corbin Martin has struggled. I think giving Sherrod the job at the start of the season is a good call for the Aggies while Martin works through some issues.

Having an ace like Brigham Hill is absolutely crucial to any type of postseason run. Through his first two outings, Hill’s pristine 0.00 ERA and 20 Ks suggest that he’s up to the task. The Aggies have an ace. That’s the biggest takeaway from Friday night.