Game #7: No. 24 Texas A&M 7, Penn 1
Records: Texas A&M (7-0, 0-0), Penn (0-3, 0-0)
WP: Aiden Sims (1-0)
LP: Josh Katz (0-1)
Box Score
Twenty-nine innings. Zero walks.
That sounds like something from a simulation.
In reality, it’s just a summation of a dominant weekend from Texas A&M pitching, punctuated by the brilliance of Aiden Sims on Sunday.
In a sweep-clinching 7-1 victory over Penn in front of 5,265 at Blue Bell Park, the No. 24 Aggies rode the sophomore right-hander for a strong seven innings, carrying a perfect game into the sixth.
“Nobody really said anything, but I kind of had it in the back of my mind,” Sims said. “Whenever I gave up that hit, I was like, ‘So what? Let’s get the next guy.’”
The Forney native retired the first 16 Quakers he faced until back-to-back doubles accounted for Penn’s only earned run of the weekend.
Yes, that’s a real stat.
Further, A&M pitching again did not surrender a single free pass in the three games. Jason Kelly’s staff went a full 29 frames without issuing a walk or a hit-by-pitch.
“Anytime pitchers throw strikes, don’t walk anyone at all or don’t hit anyone at all, they just give you a chance to win,” Aggie skipper Michael Earley said. “When you do that, and you throw some good stuff up there, and they get deep in games, they really give you a chance to win.
“If it wasn’t for those guys, we don’t win either of those first two ballgames. No doubt in my mind, clear as day, those guys kept us in the game. They got deep in the game. They allowed us to set up the bullpen, allowed us to have a pretty much full bullpen today. They’re doing a really good job.”
Making his second start of the year, Sims built on last week’s impressive season debut.
Along with his lethal cutter-sweeper combo, better fastball command allowed him to rack up a career-best 10 strikeouts as Quaker after Quaker either flailed or produced weak contact.
While he currently slots in behind Shane Sdao and Weston Moss in A&M’s rotation, Sims has not been your typical Sunday starter through two weeks.
“He’s a stud,” third baseman Nico Partida said. “He’s shown us all fall, all spring what he’s done, and people tend to think that Sunday guys are the last option. He’s nowhere near the last option.
“No walks by any of the pitchers this weekend. That has been incredibly impressive.”
In 13.0 innings, Sims has fanned 17 while allowing just two runs and four hits.
While his next challenge awaits in Arlington, A&M’s offense was challenged by Earley following Saturday’s extra-inning victory.
On Sunday, the Aggie bats answered emphatically.
“I thought they just situationally hit really well,” Earley said. “Two-strike approach was a lot better, and it’s not only just a two-strike approach. Not just taking pitches they can hit in the count. The idea of the offense is to swing at strikes and take balls. Yesterday, we took the strikes, swung at the balls too many times.
“Yesterday was obviously not what we wanted, but like I’ve said before, this team has responded all year, and their response was great today.”
After scoring just three runs in 20 innings across the first two days of the series, the Maroon & White exhibited a much better and more consistent offensive approach.
They tagged Penn starter Josh Katz for five runs in three innings before tacking on two more against reliever Aidan von Zuben.
“We just kind of put our egos aside,” Partida said. “We were looking up, seeing our stats are really good, and we thought we just needed to do more than what we were doing. I feel like today we kind of just settled down, started working all sides of the field.”
Sawyer Farr, Saturday’s hero, opened the scoring with a two-out RBI single in the second. That scored Partida, who finished 3-for-4 with a two-run home run in the ensuing frame.
Both Gavin Grahovac and Jake Duer enjoyed two-hit days, and both had a run-scoring double.
Scoring six runs across the first four innings was more than enough to complete the sweep.
“It’s awesome,” Sims said. “Hitting is not the easiest thing, and we know that they’re trying, but being able to get some runs for us is huge. … The sky is the limit. That’s all I’ve got to say.”
Pitching and timely hitting were the formula on Sunday. Replicating it consistently moving forward should ease the uneasiness felt earlier in the weekend.
Even with injuries to Chris Hacopian, Caden Sorrell and now Wesley Jordan, the number in A&M’s loss column currently matches the Aggies’ walks allowed over the last 44 innings.
That number: Zero.
That’s what’s most important.
