COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The HBU baseball team struck first but was unable to hold on in a 4-1 loss to No. 14 Texas A&M at Blue Bell Park on Tuesday evening.
 
Three Huskies (5-3) recorded multi-hit games against the Aggies (8-0). Seniors Thomas Clay and Zach Nehrir, and junior Louie Payetta all recorded two hits against TAMU. Clay scored the team's lone run and added his team-leading fifth stolen base. Nehrir recorded his third triple of the season and also swiped a bag.
 
Senior Curtis Jones (0-1) took his first loss of the season, surrendering three runs (all earned) over five and one-third innings pitched. Jones fanned two and walked one across 23 batters faced. Seniors Josh Martinez and Chris Garza both logged scoreless outings in relief.
 
Clay led off the game with a two-strike single to second base, before Payetta advanced him to second on a sac bunt one pitch later. Following a strikeout, senior Samm Wiggins plated Clay with a single to center field for the early 1-0 advantage.
 
A pitcher's duel between HBU's Curtis Jones (no decision) and Aggie Turner Larkins (no decision) spanned the next two innings, before TAMU took advantage of consecutive singles to open up the bottom of the fourth and even the game one-all.
 
HBU threatened to retake the lead in the next at bat, but left the bases loaded and then stranded two more in the top of the sixth, before the Aggies added two more runs in the bottom frame to go up 3-1.
 
The Huskies will return to Husky Field for a three-game series with Arkansas State beginning Friday, Feb. 27.