Texas A&M
1-3-1
New Mexico
9-0
No. 14 Aggies Hold Off New Mexico, 2-1
Feb 27, 2004 | Baseball
February 27, 2004
Robert Ray stuck out a career high 12 hitters to lead No. 14 Texas A&M to a 2-1 win over New Mexico in front of 7,008 fans on the opening day of the 2004 Domino's Pizza Aggie Baseball Classic.
Ray (1-0) allowed one run on seven hits in seven innings of work.
Texas A&M defeated Arkansas, 7-5, earlier in the day and the two wins moved them to a perfect 9-0 on the season.
The Aggies scored two runs in the top of the first off Lobos' starter Danny Ray Herrera on a two-RBI single by Andrew Baldwin.
New Mexico's run came in the bottom of the fourth when Ryan Barba single drove in Joe Salas to make the score 2-1.
Doug Frame replaced Ray to start the seventh and allowed a walk and a double before giving way to Blake Rampy. Rampy retired the next three men he faced on a groundout to third and a pair of strikeouts get out of the jam.
Rampy allowed a leadoff double in the ninth, but a shortstop Cliff Pennington cut down the lead runner on a fielder's choice and Rampy coaxed a double play to end the game and earn his first collegiate save.
The Aggies jumped on the Arkansas in the top of the first in the second game of the day and A&M's first of the tourney. Erik Schindewolf doubled to right center, moved to second on a bloop single by Cliff Pennington and scored on a sacrifice fly by Cory Patton. After Pennington stole second, he scored on a single by Coby Mavroulis. Johns Infante delivered a two-out, two-run homer to right to give the Aggies a 4-0 lead.
Arkansas answered with a run in the top of the second off of A&M starter Zach Jackson. Devin Day singled to right to score Brett Hagedorn from second and make the score 4-1.
Arkansas scored again in the third on a RBI-single by Haas Pratt which scored Blake Parker, who doubled earlier in the inning.
A&M stretched the lead to 6-2 in the bottom of the fourth on a two-run homer by Craig Stinson.
The Razorbacks cut the lead to one run in the top of the fifth. With one out, Jackson hit a man and walked the next hitter, before Pratt doubled to score both runners. Pratt later scored on a single by Clay Goodwin.
Freshman Kyle Nicholson replaced Jackson (3-0) to start the sixth. Jackson lasted five innings, allowing five earned runs on eight hits wile striking out two and walking two.
Stinson walked with one away in the bottom of the sixth and moved to third on a double by Austin Boggs. Schindewolf slapped a sacrifice fly to deep left to plate Stinson and run the score to 7-5.
Jason Meyer pitched the Aggies out of a major jam in the top of the seventh. After Nicholson walked the bases loaded, Meyer entered the game and coaxed a strikeout and a double play to end the inning and the threat.
Meyer cruised the rest of the way to earn his first save of the season. The redshirt-freshman lefty, struck out five, walked one and did not allow a hit in his three innings of work.
New Mexico defeated Arkansas 3-1 in the first game of the day. Jason Fernandez tossed a complete game, allowing one run on six hits.
The tournament continues tomorrow with New Mexico and Arkansas playing at 11 a.m., Texas A&M and New Mexico taking the field at 3 p.m. and Texas A&M and Arkansas finishing the day at 7 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ray, Robert (1-0)
L: Schindewolf, Erik (0-1)
S: Rampy, Blake (1)
Batting:
RBI: Baldwin, Andrew 2
SH: Whelan, Kevin 1 ; Boggs, Austin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Schindewolf, Erik 1 ; Pennington, Cliff 1
Batting:
2B: Bartek, Travis 1 ; Creps, Austin 1
RBI: Creps, Austin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bartek, Travis 1
SB: Ray, Robert 1
