COLLEGE STATION — Chris Cortez and Evan Aschenbeck pitched 7 1/3 innings of scoreless relief, and Hayden Schott drove in three runs as Texas A&M battled back from an early three-run deficit to defeat mistake-prone Oregon 10-6 on Saturday in the opening game of the College Station Super Regional.
The third-seeded Aggies can advance to the College World Series for the eighth time with a victory today. If Oregon wins Game 2, a decisive third game will be played Monday.
Anson Arroz hit a two-run homer in the first inning for the Ducks, who added four runs in the second on Mason Neville’s sacrifice fly, Arroz’s single and Chase Meggers’ double to build a 6-3 lead.
Trailing 6-4 through three innings, Texas A&M took a 7-6 lead with three runs in the fourth on two errors and a fielder’s choice. The Aggies added three in the fifth on a bases-loaded walk and two groundouts.
After A&M starter Ryan Prager was charged with all six Oregon runs in the first two frames, Cortez came on in relief and pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out 10. He was relieved after allowing a leadoff walk and hitting a batter with one out in the eighth.
Aschenbeck got out of the eighth with a foul out and a strikeout. He retired the side in order in the ninth, working 1 2/3 innings without allowing a hit and striking out three.
Texas A&M scored its last six runs on either an error, a fielder’s choice or a walk. Schott’s RBIs came on a double in the first inning, a single in the third and a fielder’s choice in the fourth.
Oregon starter RJ Gordon (7-6) allowed seven runs — six earned — in 3 1/3 innings.