Clemens, Kingham lead No. 14 Baseball to 8-3 win over Texas A&M

Saturday, June 2

Austin, Texas

6 p.m.

University of Texas

39-20

Texas A&M

40-21

Texas

Texas A&M

Clemens, Kingham lead No. 14 Baseball to 8-3 win over Texas A&M

06.02.2018 | Baseball

Box Score

With the win, the Longhorns advance to the regional championship on Sunday.

Box Score | Texas Quotes | Texas A&M Quotes

AUSTIN, Texas—Behind a two-home run performance from Kody Clemens and 7.2 impressive innings from Nolan Kingham, No. 1 seed Texas Baseball (39-20) defeated No. 3 seed Texas A&M (40-21) by an 8-3 final on Saturday night to advance to Sunday's championship game at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.

The Longhorns, who served as the visitors in the ballgame, got things going right away in the top of the first. David Hamilton led off the game with a single and Duke Ellis was hit with a pitch to put two aboard for Kody Clemens. The junior second baseman proceeded to unload on the 2-1 offering from Mitchell Kilkenny (8-5) for his 20th home run of the season to put Texas up 3-0 after the first half inning.

Staked to a 3-0 lead, it was Kingham's turn to go to work. The right-hander sat down the first six Aggies in order before an error allowed an unearned run to score in the third.

In the top of the fourth, however, DJ Petrinsky gave the Longhorns their three-run lead back. The Texas catcher launched his second home run of the regional over the left field fence to make it 4-1 in favor of the Longhorns.

Then, with two away in the frame, Hamilton and Duke Ellis added back-to-back singles and Clemens walked to load the bases. Zach Zubia was then hit with a 3-2 pitch to force in a run and Texas led, 5-1, after four.

The Longhorns added another crooked number in the fifth thanks to a Jake McKenzie sac fly and a Hamiton single to put Texas out to a 7-1 lead after five.

In the sixth, Clemens did it again when he took another 2-1 pitch over the right-center field wall to make it 8-1. With 21 homers, Clemens surpassed Jeff Ontiveros for the second-most home runs in a single season behind Kyle Russell's 28 in 2007.

From there, Kingham (8-3) took care of business. He finished with 7.2 innings, allowing three runs (two earned) on nine hits and one walk to go along with eight strikeouts, his most since he fanned 10 in the season opener.

Josh Sawyer got the final out in the eighth and Andy McGuire faced the minimum in the ninth to finish out the win.

Hamilton and Clemens each finished with three hits apiece while Petrinsky, Ellis, and McKenzie added two each. For Clemens, it was his third two-homer game of the season.

The Longhorns now advance to the regional championship tomorrow night at 8 p.m. at UFCU Disch-Falk Field. Texas will face the winner of Indiana vs. Texas A&M, who play tomorrow at 2 p.m. for the opportunity to play in the final.