Texas A&M blasted four home runs and got a strong start from Aiden Sims to beat Florida 8-4 and force Sunday’s SEC rubber match.
Texas A&M baseball needed a response after a rough series opener at Florida, and the Aggies delivered one with power, patience and just enough pitching.
No. 7 Texas A&M beat Florida 8-4 on Saturday, evening the SEC weekend series and setting up a rubber match Sunday at noon CT on SEC Network+.
The Aggies improved to 32-8 overall and 13-6 in SEC play after shaking off Friday’s 9-2 loss, their first defeat since April 7.
The biggest difference was the lineup. After Florida ace Aiden King quieted Texas A&M in Game 1, the Aggies came out swinging in Game 2.
Bear Harrison tied the game with a solo homer, Nico Partida added his 12th home run of the season, and Gavin Grahovac crushed his second homer of the series to stretch the lead.
Jorian Wilson helped put it away late. The freshman singled home Terrence Kiel in the sixth, then launched a two-run home run in the eighth to give Texas A&M breathing room.
Aiden Sims also gave the Aggies exactly what they needed on the mound. The sophomore right-hander allowed two solo home runs but kept Florida from building a big inning.
He handed the lead to the bullpen, where Ethan Darden, Gavin Lyons and Clayton Freshcorn finished the job.
Florida got solo shots from Blake Cyr and Caden McDonald, with McDonald continuing a strong series that included four hits and two home runs through the first two games.
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The Gators pushed across late runs, but Freshcorn kept the comeback from getting serious.
Now Texas A&M has a chance to win another major SEC road series. After one ugly night, the Aggies looked much more like a top-10 team again.
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