COLLEGE STATION — Both regular season matchups between Texas A&M and Texas state were tight. this is not the regular season.

Starter Weston Moss struck out a career-high 10 in 7 1/3 innings and the Aggie offense put up 17 unanswered runs to rout the Bobcats 17-2.

The game did not start auspiciously for Moss and the Aggies, as he gave up two home runs in the first two innings while Texas State starter Jesus Tovar kept A&M off the board. Things started to change in the top of the third, when first baseman Gavin Grahovac hit his second home run of the weekend to make it a 2-1 game.

The Aggies took the lead to stay in the top of the fourth (the Aggies, in spite of being the number one seed, were the visitors), when left fielder Jake Duer hit a lined shot just to the left of the batter’s eye in centerfield for a 413-foot two-run homer. In the meantime, Moss was setting down the Bobcats in order with his fastball/slider mix, including striking out five in a row in third and fourth innings. Moss would not give up another hit until the bottom of the seventh.

A&M added to its lead in the top of the fifth when centerfielder Caden Sorrell doubled and designated hitter Chris Hacopian drove him in with a single. The roof caved in for Texas State in the top of the sixth as the Aggies 11 men to the plate and scored five times — with a lot of help from the Bobcats.

With one out, Texas State reliever Kyle Froehlich gave up a hit to right fielder Terrence Kiel II, followed by a double by shortstop Boston Kellner. It looked like Froehlich was one his way to getting out of the inning when he struck out Grahovac, but the pitch was wild enough to allow Grahovac to reach and load the bases.

Sorrell struck out, but Hacopian scorched a sharp grounder to Texas State shortstop Justin Vossos, who had the ball squirt away from him just long enough to allow the hobbling Hacopian to beat the throw to first. Kiel scored on the play to make the score 6-2, and things only got worse.

Froehlich promptly hit both third baseman Nico Partida driving home a run, then gave up a 2-RBI single to Duer before hitting catcher Bear Harrison before being pulled in favor of Keller Eberly. Second baseman Ben Royo followed with an RBI infield single, making the score 9-2 and ensuring that every starter in the Aggie lineup had at least one hit.

A&M added another run in the top of the seventh, when Hacopian doubled to drive in Grahovac, who had walked. Texas State got their first two hits since the second inning in the bottom of the seventh, but first baseman Bennett Fryman scorched a line drive right at Grahovac at first base for an inning-ending double play.

Things got considerably worse for the Bobcats in the top of the eighth, as the Aggies started to pound rarely used Texas State relievers. Harrison and Royo both walked to start the inning before Kiel sacrificed both of them into scoring position. Kellner then singled Harrison home before Grahovac became the third Aggie to be hit by a pitch.

Sorrell doubled to score Royo and Kellner, then Hacopian hit a sharp liner to straightaway left field that Blake Beheler — who had just moved to left from right field — misjudged, allowing it to fall for a two-run double. After Partida walked, Duer split the right- and centerfielders for another two run double, giving him six RBI on the night. As a team, the Aggies would bash 20 hits, including eight doubles, on the night.

Moss would get the first out of the eighth before giving up a single, just his fifth hit allowed. Coach Michael Earley then went to get him, providing the Blue Bell Park crowd the opportunity to provide Moss a standing ovation.

The Aggies will play the winner of Sunday afternoon’s elimination game between Texas State and USC with chance to clinch the regional at 8 p.m. Sunday night. The two teams played Friday night, with the Bobcats winning 5-4. The Trojans stayed alive by blasting Lamar 19-6 Saturday afternoon.