Pitching duel ends in No. 4 Texas A&M's walk-off victory over No. 2 Arkansas (2024)

From the moment Ryan Prager woke up, the day just felt weird to the Texas A&M starting pitcher.

Severe weather in the Brazos Valley pushed the start of Thursday’s series opener between the No. 4 Aggies and the No. 2 Arkansas back 90 minutes to an 8:30 p.m. first pitch. That left a lot of day to mentally kill. Those same storms dropped mid-May temperatures at Blue Bell Park into the 60s and turned the wind towards home plate.

By the time the Aggie baseball team rushed onto Olsen Field after 11 innings to celebrate a 1-0 walk-off Southeastern Conference victory, not much had changed. For a game that featured elite pitching from start to finish, it ended with a bases-loaded, walk-off walk — the strangest possible outcome.

“That game took years off my life,” said Aggie first baseman Ted Burton, who drew the game-winning walk.

Burton came to the plate with two outs, thanks to Arkansas’ decision to intentionally walk Jackson Appel. Aggie leadoff hitter Gavin Grahovac drew a walk to start the rally and made his way to third on a single through the right side by Jace LaViolette with Graohvac in motion with the pitch.

Aggie head coach Jim Schlossnagle said he wasn’t surprised the Razorbacks (42-11, 19-9) walked Appel, because of the trust they have in veteran reliever Will McEntire, who entered the game to face Burton.

“McEntire has been a huge part of their team,” Schlossnagle said. “I’m sure we’ll see him again this weekend. He’s very trusted.”

Burton before stepping into the batter’s box planned to make McEntire work.

McEntire entered with four saves this season and was one of coach Dave Van Horn’s most dependable bullpen arms. However, during McEntire’s warm-up pitches, while Burton watched, the right-hander spiked a few throws into the dirt.

“I was like, ‘OK, this guy’s got to beat me with three [strikes],’” Burton said. “So, I was really selective and just tried to get his stuff up and it worked out.”

After taking a cutter over the plate on the first pitch for a strike, Burton watched the next four land outside the strike zone, ending the pitching marathon. Most of the 6,976, who braved the weather, remained in Blue Bell Park to watch the Aggies (43-10, 18-10) storm out of the dugout to huddle around Burton in short right field after the free pass.

Prior to that final pitch, both teams had combined for only three walks in the game.

“[Those were] a lot of pitchers that are going to pitch for a long time,” Schlossnagle said.

Even before the strange weather dictated that the game might be a pitchers’ duel, the matchup of aces in Prager and Arkansas’ Hagen Smith indicated runs would come at a premium. Smith had the nation’s leading earned run average at 1.65. He also led the country in hits allowed per nine innings (4.18) and strikeouts per nine innings (17.24).

The potential top-5 2024 MLB Draft pick lived up to the billing in six innings, allowing two hits and striking out 14 on 98 pitches. He did not issue a walk.

A&M, which has been one of the best offensive teams in the country, was held to five hits for the game and did not have a runner reach third until Grahovac got there in the 11th inning.

“I’m trying to remember a lefty that I’ve seen that starts with that kind of arm,” Schlossnagle said. “I can’t remember one in 35 years.”

Prager matched Smith inning-for inning, throwing seven scoreless frames. He allowed five hits, struck out nine and issued one walk. The sophom*ore lefty is traditionally known for his stoic approach on the mound. However, when his final pitch pounded catcher Appel’s glove for Prager’s ninth strikeout of the game, he let out a yell that brought Blue Bell Park to its collective feet.

“I think [the emotion] just spoke to the moment and this team and maybe just with the atmosphere and everything. I think it all kind of flowed together,” he said.

A&M’s pitching staff faced more pressure than the Razorbacks. Arkansas had a runner in scoring position four times and stranded 10 runners. Prager needed a slow groundout to the mound to close out the sixth with a runner on third. Aggie reliever Evan Aschenbeck threw a pair of strikeouts in the 10th to leave a runner on third. He also came up with a strikeout and a line out to end the 11th with a runner on second.

Aschenbeck (5-1) got the win with four scoreless innings. He struck out four and allowed four hits.

“He’s the guy that comes in and you just have fully belief that this thing is over,” Prager said.

Aschenbeck was aided by a leaping catch against the wall by left fielder Caden Sorrell that ended the ninth with a runner on first. Aschenbeck also picked up Burton with the pair of strikeouts in the 10th after the first baseman committed an error with one out.

“The ball was in Aschenbeck’s court and he slam dunked it,” Burton said. “I just want to give him a big old kiss right now.”

After throwing 46 pitches, Aschenbeck most likely will not be available for the remainder of the series, Schlossnagle said.

A&M’s chances to score were few and far between. The Aggies’ first baserunner was Travis Chestnut in the third inning with a bunt single. Chestnut reached again in the eighth and went to second on a wild pitch. He was rounding third on a two-out grounder up the middle by Grahovac, but Arkansas shortstop Wehiwa Aloy ranged well behind second base and made a perfect throw to end the inning.

Friday, with temperatures expected to be back in the 80s for a 7 p.m. first pitch, conditions expect to be much better for both teams’ bats. For A&M, it will most likely be left hander Justin Lamkin’s (2-2, 5.47 ERA) job to keep Arkansas’ offense at bay, Schlossnagle said. The Razorbacks will go with right hander Gage Wood (3-1, 3.03 ERA).

With Thursday’s victory, the Aggies moved within a game of Arkansas for the SEC West lead.

“We know this is going to be a dogfight the next few days,” Burton said. “They know that. This series has been anticipated all year long.”