Texas A&M needed a dose of Olsen Magic on Friday night, and the Aggies got it just in time. In a pure pitcher’s duel to open the weekend series, a ninth‑inning walk‑off single from freshman Boston Kellner lifted No. 24 A&M to a 1–0 win over Penn, cueing the bubbles and preserving the undefeated start.
Right‑hander Shane Shao delivered his best outing of the young season, working seven scoreless innings while allowing just three hits and striking out seven. Ethan Darden and Josh Stewart handled the final two frames, combining for three strikeouts and giving up only one hit to keep the game locked at 0–0.
Offensively, the Aggies spent most of the night searching for rhythm. Through eight innings, they totaled six hits and four walks but stranded nine runners as Penn’s staff consistently executed and prevented any sustained momentum.
The breakthrough finally came in the bottom of the ninth. After Bear Harrison drew a leadoff walk, Travis Chestnut executed a perfect sacrifice bunt to move the winning run into scoring position. That brought up Kellner, the nine‑hole hitter and one of the early bright spots among A&M’s newcomers. He jumped on the first pitch he saw and drove it over the center fielder’s head, bringing the runner home for the walk‑off win.
It marked the second straight game in which a true freshman delivered the decisive swing—an encouraging sign for a team leaning heavily on its young core.
OLSEN MAGIC WITH THE WALK OFF 🫧 pic.twitter.com/DCkIwsY5Dm
— Texas A&M Baseball (@AggieBaseball) February 21, 2026
While the offense didn’t produce the way Coach Michael Earley would prefer, the pitching staff delivered exactly what he needed. Game 2 offers a chance for the Aggie bats to reset and get back to their usual aggressive approach after facing the toughest pitching they’ve seen so far this season.
NOTES:
- Pitching:
- Shane Sdao was awarded the win
- Hits Allowed - 4
- Strike outs - 10
- Walks - 0
- Hitting:
- Hits - 7
- Doubles - 1
- Walks - 5
- Strikeouts - 8
Texas A&M will host Penn in Game 2 of the series on Saturday, Feb. 21, at 2 p.m. CT. The matchup will stream on SEC Network+.
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This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Freshman Boston Kellner delivers walk‑off as Texas A&M beats Penn 1–0