Kent, Allemand Boost Aggies

By Travis L. Brown

Special to CollegeBaseballInsider.com

 

Travis Brown is a former bullpen catcher who covers TCU athletics, the Dallas Stars and high school sports for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Follow on Twitter @Travis_L_Brown

 

FORT WORTH, Texas – Texas A&M starter Matt Kent isn’t going to blow a fastball by anyone good enough to play in a Super Regional.

 

It was his masterful control with a slider and changeup that kept TCU’s hitter’s off balance in the Aggie’s 2-1 Game 2 Forth Worth Super Regional win Sunday at Lupton Stadium.

 

Although credited with a no-decision, Kent threw 7.2 innings of scoreless baseball, allowing six hits. The junior struck out six and walked two, pitching in his third game in 10 days.

 

“We were hoping that maybe he would be a little tired but, shoot, he was even better,” TCU coach Jim Schlossnagle said. “The story of the game was him, no doubt about it.”

 

Kent faced the minimum amount of batters in an inning four times and allowed TCU runners into scoring position three times in his seven-plus innings of work.

 

TCU (48-13) came closest to drawing first blood in the top of the fifth, when senior third baseman Derek Odell reached third on a Garrett Crain two-out single. Kent worked out of the jam by getting a ground-ball out from Cody Jones in the next at-bat.

 

“Middle innings, the command came in and I was able to keep velocity up and that was a big key,” Kent said. “As we got deeper into the game, my velocity started to fall away, but the command stayed.”

 

A&M (50-13) gave its pitcher a lead in the bottom of the sixth when junior left fielder Logan Taylor dropped a hooking line drive just inside the foul line in left field, scoring designated hitter Mitchell Nau from second.

 

TCU thought it thwarted A&M’s scoring chance earlier in the inning by tagging shortstop Blake Allemand in between third and home on an infield-in ground ball off the bat of Nau, posting the second out of the inning. Taylor’s RBI double came on a 2-2 count off of a missed slider by TCU starter Preston Morrison.

 

“It sucks that that was the pitch that ended up scoring the run, but I’m not really focused on that one mistake that I made,” Morrison said.

 

TCU rallied in the top of the ninth, tying the game off Aggies reliever Ryan Hendrix. With the bases loaded, TCU shortstop Keaton Jones sent a shallow fly ball to center field, which was caught by substitute center fielder Nick Choruby. The throw came in and was cut off, giving Connor Wanhanen enough time to slide in safely after the tag.

 

“There wasn’t a whole lot of panic in our team when they scored that run in the ninth,” Allemand said. “We just tried to come back and put together good at-bats.”

 

After a three-up, three-down TCU top half of the 10^th, a walk and a hit-and-run moved Choruby to third with one out.

 

Morrison was replaced by TCU closer Riley Ferrell after 9.1 innings of work and 105 pitches, but it only took three pitches for Allemand to lift a sacrifice fly into left field, scoring the game-winning run.

 

“I wanted to be at the plate in that situation,” Allemand said.

 

Morrison closes book at Lupton

 

When Schlossnagle left the TCU dugout to take the ball from Morrison, it finally dawned on the senior pitcher than he had thrown his last pitch in Lupton Stadium.

 

He took his time coming off the mound, giving each infielder and Schlossnagle a hug before making his way to the dugout.

 

“It’s been an unbelievable career,” Schlossnagle said. “Best pitcher in the history of this school, bar none. It’s not even close.”

 

Morrison pitched into the 10^th inning, allowing two runs on seven Aggies hits Saturday. He finished his career at Lupton second all-time at TCU in wins with 36 and holds the school record for single-season innings (122.1), innings (462.1) and games started (60).

 

Surprisingly enough, Morrison now holds an 0-3 record in NCAA Tournament games in seven starts.

 

“I’m so blessed to be a part of a great program,” a slightly emotional Morrison said after the game. “For four years, it’s given me so much and it just makes me feel so blessed.”

 

Game 3 matchup

 

Texas A&M will send sophomore Tyler Stubblefield (0-0, 5.14 ERA) to the mound in the 7 p.m. Game 3 Monday. He’ll be making only his second start of the season after coming back from a knee injury that took most of his 2015 season.

 

Stubblefield allowed one run on five hits in his one start of the season on May 31 against California in the NCAA Regional.

 

As a freshman, he started 11 games and pitched 59 innings, going 4-2 with a 3.81 ERA.

Should A&M win Monday’s deciding Game 3, the Aggies would make their fifth College World Series appearance and first since 2011.

 

Schlossnagle said he would decide between junior lefty Alex Young (9-2, 2.39 ERA) or sophomore right-handed pitcher Mitchell Traver (8-2, 1.70 ERA).

 

“Not sure yet, probably Alex Young,” Schlossnagle said. “Could be Traver. Certainly there are a lot of guys available.”

 

TCU will have its entire pitching staff available Monday, save Morrison, because of the lengthy outing he put forth Sunday.

 

Should TCU win, the Horned Frogs would make their third trip to Omaha and the second in as many years.

 

“It’s going to be a great game,” Schlossnagle said. “There’s no doubt about it. It’s going to be a lot of fun for these kids to get a chance to play in.”