COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Ryan Targac’s cycle and Dylan Rock’s four-RBI performance highlighted the Texas A&M Aggies’ 17-3 victory over the Kentucky Wildcats in Saturday’s rubber match on Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.
The 17 runs was the most scored by the Aggies in a SEC game since March 24, 2019 when A&M topped Kentucky, 17-5.
Targac led the team at the plate, hitting for cycle, the second by an Aggie in 12 days (Jack Moss at Texas). He went 4-for-5 and hit a career-high of five RBI and scored three runs. The switch-hitter singled and doubled from the right side of the plate and tripled and homered from the left side.
Rock batted 2-for-3 with one home run, one triple, four RBI and four runs. Kole Kaler, Moss, and Austin Bost added two hits apiece.
Texas A&M (19-12, 6-6) took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning. Kentucky (19-13, 4-8) trimmed a run off the lead in the second, but the Aggies scored 11 runs in innings 4 through 6 to stake claim to a 13-3 advantage.
Micah Dallas earned his first SEC win, improving his season record to 4-1. Dallas yielded three runs on five hits while striking out five over 7.0 innings. Will Johnston and Wyatt Tucker both worked one scoreless frame.
TOP AGGIE PERFORMERS
Ryan Targac – 4-for-5, 1 HR, 3 R, 5 RBI, 4 H, 1 2B, 1 3B
Dylan Rock – 2-for-3, 1 HR, 4 R, 4 RBI, 2 H
Micah Dallas – 7.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 0 BB, 5 K
GAME SUMMARY
B1 | With one out, Dylan Rock drew a walk and moved to second on a wild pitch. Troy Claunch and Brett Minnich had back-to-back two-out RBI singles. A&M 2, UK 0
T2 | With two outs, Plastiak hit a solo home run to center field. A&M 2, KU 1
B4 | Ryan Targac bounced a one-out single up the middle and ran around the bases on three wild pitches. Back-to-back errors put Taylor Smith and Logan Britt on base. Kole Kaler singled to left field to load the bases. Rock tripled to left-center and brought all three home. Jack Moss grounded out to second to plate Rock. A&M 7, UK 1
T5 | Alonzo Rubalcaba singled to left field, followed by a double from Reuben Church to open the inning. John Thrasher’s pushed two runs across. A&M 7, UK 3
B5 | Austin Bost put down a one-out bunt single and Targac blasted a 475-foot home run to right-center. A&M 9, UK 3
B6 | Rock drew a one-out walk and moved to third by a double to rightfield by Moss. Troy Claunch was hit-by-pitch to fill the bags with Ags. A&M scored runs on a Minnich walk and Bost sac fly before Targac cleared the bases with a triple down the first-base line. A&M 13, UK 3
B7 | With two outs, Rock sent a solo homer to left field. A&M 14, UK 3
B8 | Minnich was walked and scored on a double from Targac to centerfield. With two outs, Britt drew a walk and Kaler gapped a triple to right-center to knock in two runs. A&M 17, UK 3
UP NEXT
The Aggies travel to Corpus Christi to take on A&M-Corpus Christi on Tuesday. First pitch on Whataburger Field is set for 6:32 p.m.
TEXAS A&M QUOTES
Head Coach Jim Schlossnagle
On closing the game…
On Texas A&M’s rally…
“Guys are looking to advance bases, that’s part of our offense, to get those extra 90-feet. We call them roughnecks. It was a complete game. It was very well played. I know that we had a couple of errors in there, but one of them was a pretty tough ball. We got good starting pitching and I thought that Johnston and Tucker threw well, so that is exactly what we needed.”
Graduate outfielder Dylan Rock
On what played a part in the team’s turnaround…
“Just staying on the ball and seeing the ball. Everybody is up there competing, and we were just able to see the ball better today.”
Sophomore third baseman Ryan Targac
On hitting from the cycle from both sides of the plate…
“I didn’t really think about that at first, but the fact that I had two from the left and two from the right, that is pretty cool to me. I have been doing that since day one, ever since I could hold a bat in my hand I have been switch-hitting. It is my first career cycle, so it is an awesome feeling.”
Junior RHP Micah Dallas
On his first SEC win…
“That was so much fun. I have been waiting for it for a couple weeks now, but I mean just being able to go out there and have the offense put on a show. I mean this was a fun baseball game.”
