Earley leaves A&M's win over Lamar early with eighth-inning ejection

Game #44: Texas A&M 13, Lamar 6
Records: Texas A&M (25-19, 8-13), Lamar (36-12, 16-8)
WP: Brad Rudis (1-1)
LP: Carter Sutton (5-2)
Save: Caden McCoy (1)
Box Score

Fireworks of multiple different kinds.

In a game that featured six total home runs, Michael Earley's first career managerial ejection stole the headlines in Texas A&M's 13-6 win over Lamar on Tuesday at Blue Bell Park.

"I got upset and probably overreacted, but every pitch matters to me. It matters to this team," the Aggie skipper said. "You see where the game went. Our guys did a good job of bouncing back and answering, but this game meant as much to me as any game this season. I just lost my cool."

With A&M leading 10-2 in the top of the eighth, Zane Spinn chopped an Aiden Sims offering up the first base line.

Though the Lamar shortstop appeared to be tagged out by the A&M pitcher, home plate umpire Jarred Moehlmann ruled Spinn safe.

Two pitches later, Matt Ryan launched a three-run blast off the left field scoreboard, and an incensed Earley was dismissed from the ballgame for voicing his displeasure a second time.

"I was in there watching on TV," Earley said. "Like the worst possible way to watch these games. I kind of regretted everything that happened a little bit."

Jeff Head, who personally ejected Gavin Kash on Saturday in Austin, happened to be Tuesday's second-base umpire.

Of course, the Aggies are fresh off a sweep at No. 1 Texas that featured three losses by a total of three runs in games marred by questionable umpiring.

However, Earley claimed there was no carryover frustration.

When it comes to offensive fireworks, Ben Royo led A&M's somewhat cathartic performance by going 2-for-3 with two home runs and eight RBIs.

The Rice transfer's two-run shot in the third inning erased an early 1-0 deficit, and his grand slam punctuated a six-run fifth as the Aggies ripped off 10 unanswered runs vs. Cardinal pitching.

"It's a great feeling to help win a ball game, but that's baseball," Royo said. "Somebody's got to step up every game. Not everybody is going to have a huge game every game. Somebody's got to step up, and it feels good to be that guy."

With his second multi-homer performance of the month, Royo has hits in six straight and is one of the hottest hitters in the A&M lineup.

Of course, Caden Sorrell qualifies for that list as well, and he also clubbed a pair of long balls vs. Lamar.

In a 3-for-3 showing, the sophomore now has nine round-trippers in just 19 games this season.

"He hits like his personality," Earley said of Sorrell. "He's an absolute killer, man, in a baseball sense. He goes up there with a plan and bad intentions, no matter what he does. That guy, when he steps in the box, when he plays the game, it is all-out, with a plan, and when it doesn't go his way, he bounces back and does it again and does it again."

Kendal Lockler, TexAgs

Second baseman Ben Royo went 2-for-3 with two home runs and eight RBIs.

Wyatt Henseler also clubbed a fifth-inning home run as the homer-happy Aggie smashed five vs. the Cardinals after mustering just one in 27 innings vs. Texas.

While the offense and Earley garnered the most attention, Brad Rudis' four scoreless innings of relief were massive in allowing A&M to run away from Lamar in the middle innings.

He allowed just two hits en route to his first win of the year.

"Our job out of the pen is to get outs," Rudis said. "That's how I attacked it."

Ultimately, Sims was charged with five runs in 1.1 innings as Lamar got the potential tying run to the plate in the eighth.

Caden McCoy diffused that bases-loaded threat and worked a scoreless ninth to earn his first career save after the A&M bats added three more insurance runs.

Still, Earley wasn't satisfied with his club's offensive performance.

With nine left on base, A&M was just 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position.

"He hit some balls out of the park, but we still swung at some bad pitches, and we still didn't move balls with guys in scoring position," Earley said. "I'm not going to make the mistake of being fooled by the win.

"As a whole, I don't think we played a great game, and that might sound wild, but we've got to be better, especially going into a weekend against a team like this, period."

Next, the Ags open a three-game series vs. No. 2 LSU on Friday night.