'An incredible run, but it's over': Loss to A&M ends Texas' season at College World Series

The Texas Longhorns had long dreamed of ending their baseball season in late June with a dogpile.

Instead, it ended Sunday with Austin Todd's flyout to left field.

Texas failed to take advantage of several offensive opportunities while a big second inning boosted Texas A&M to a 10-2 elimination game triumph in the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. The Aggies' win at Charles Schwab Field ended the Longhorns' season while keeping their own chase for a championship alive.

"We all had the same goal and that was to have a dogpile at the end," Todd said. "We fight for this and this is everything that we worked for. It's just one of those things that we didn't get it done today."

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Still, at the start of the 379th all-time meeting between the two longtime rivals, Horns — not thumbs — went up. Texas' Douglas Hodo III scored in the first inning and then gave UT a 2-0 lead in the second with an RBI double. Texas pitcher Lucas Gordon needed only 10 pitches to retire the Aggies in order in the bottom of the first.

The game, however, pivoted in the bottom of the second.

Three of A&M's four hits in the second frame scored runs. That led to the Aggies taking their first lead in a CWS game since 2011.

On the way to that 4-2 lead, the Aggies made Gordon labor. The sophomore left-hander threw 43 pitches and was unable to record three outs. He was replaced after A&M's Trevor Werner hit a two-run single to break the tie.

Werner's swing capped an 11-pitch battle with Gordon. He fouled off five two-strike pitches before he poked the ball into left field.

"I think collectively we put together great at-bats," A&M outfielder Jordan Thompson said of the second inning. "Just kept making them make pitches, and we took the balls and hit the strikes. Nothing more you can do."

When Werner finally singled, he was facing a full count with two outs. That would become a theme.

Texas A&M scored its fifth run in the third inning when Texas committed an error on a play that came with two outs and a 2-2 count. The Aggies went up 6-2 in the fourth frame when Jack Moss singled on a two-strike, two-out pitch.

"We pitched behind, and when we got ahead we didn't have a wipeout pitch to move to the next hitter," UT coach David Pierce said. "I think that was the story of the game, to be honest with you."

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A&M eventually expanded its lead to eight runs. Texas had chances to chip away at that deficit, but failed to get a big hit at the right time.

The Longhorns left 12 runners on base. They were just 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position.

"We had an approach, and it's worked for us all year. We stuck with it," Todd said. "They made some pitches and we just didn't get the big hits at times."

Texas also was beaten by Notre Dame in its CWS opener on Friday. The Longhorns have gone 0-for-2 in three of their last five trips to Omaha.

Texas finished its season with a 47-22 record. Over the past few months, the Longhorns were ranked No. 1 nationally, dropped out of the rankings, reached the championship game at the Big 12 tournament, hosted and won a regional, came from behind to win a super regional on the road and reached Omaha for an NCAA-record 38th time. Texas also hit a school-record 128 home runs.

"The Aggies were better than us today," Pierce said. "It's just pretty much a struggle (in Omaha). We didn't feel like we played as well as we can play the last two games. What an incredible run, but it's over."

Key play: Trailing 8-2, Texas loaded the bases in the top of the sixth. That set up a battle between UT slugger Ivan Melendez and Texas A&M reliever Jacob Palisch.

Melendez fouled off three balls during the five-pitch at-bat. The fifth pitch, though, was a called strike that ended the inning. The decisive pitch was a fastball that painted the inside corner of the strike zone.

Melendez went 0-for-4 in the final game of his sensational season. He finished with a .387 batting average, 32 home runs, 94 RBIs and the school's fifth Dick Howser Trophy. His 32 home runs and 214 total bases are school records. His 94 RBIs and .863 slugging percentage are top-three school marks.

Notable number: 3. In his 208th and final game at Texas, Todd was responsible for three of UT's seven hits. The sixth-year senior from Round Rock also drove in a first-inning run.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas baseball season ends as A&M stays alive at College World Series