Texas A&M
10-2
Arkansas
10-1
Arkansas Hands No. 14 A&M First Loss of Season
Feb 28, 2004 | Baseball
February 28, 2004
The No. 14 Texas A&M baseball team defeated New Mexico in dramatic fashion, 11-10, before dropping its first game of the season to Arkansas, 6-4, in front of 7,550 fans at Olsen Field.
With the split, the Aggies moved to 10-1 overall and to 3-1 in the 2004 Domino's Pizza Classic. Arkansas won both of its games today to improve to 10-2 overall and 2-2 in the tourney. New Mexico dropped to 1-5-1 overall and 1-3 in tournament play.
In the Aggies' first game of the day, Cory Patton singled home Parker Dalton in the bottom of the ninth to earn a 11-10 win.
New Mexico jumped out to an early lead in the top of the first with a run off A&M starting pitcher Dan Donaldson. Matt Young, who doubled to lead off the inning, scored on a groundout.
Texas A&M touched Lobos' starter Mike Smith for four runs in the bottom of the second to take the lead. Andrew Baldwin walked and Austin Boggs and Kevin Whelan each singled to load the bases. Dalton drove in a pair of runs with a double down the line in right and John Infante drove in the other two with a single to right.
The Lobos chased Donaldson in the top of the fifth when they scored four runs to take the lead 5-4. Jeff Grady hit a two-run homer and Ryan Barba and Sean Murray each drove in a run. The last run of the inning was charged to relief pitcher B.J. Boening.
New Mexico ran its lead to 7-4 in the top of the sixth with a couple of unearned runs. Daniel Stovall led off the inning with a single, advanced to second on Grady's single to right and scored when Patton misplayed the ball in right field. Grady, who moved to third on the error, scored on a sacrifice fly by Young.
Jesse Kibler replaced Smith to begin the bottom of the sixth and allowed a hit, three walks and hit a batter before getting lifted. Jackie Smith walked the first man he faced to tie the score at seven and Andrew Baldwin gave the Aggie the lead with an infield single. An error on the play also allowed Eric Scheidt to score and give the Aggies a 9-7 lead.
The Lobos regained the lead in the top of the eighth on a two-run homer by Daniel Stovall and a RBI-single from Barba.
A&M answered to tie the score at 10 in the eighth on a RBI groundout by Boggs.
Dalton, making his first start of the season for A&M, finished the game going 3-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI.
Austin Creps (1-0) earned the win by pitching two innings, allowing one run on two hits.
In the final game of the day, Arkansas jumped on A&M starter Justin Moore for two runs in the bottom of the first. RBI singles by Clay Goodwin and Haas Pratt did the damage.
The Aggies took the lead in the top of the third when they touched Arkansas starter Charley Boyce for three runs. Craig Stinson singled and scored on a double by Boggs, who later scored on a single by Cliff Pennington. Boyce's attempt to pick off Pennington at first sailed into right field, allowing him to advance to third. Patton grounded out to second to plate Pennington.
The Razorbacks tied the game in the bottom of the fifth on a RBI double by Brett Hagedon.
Pennington doubled to start the A&M half of the sixth and moved to third on a fly ball to right by Patton. With the infield drawn in, Coby Mavroulis fisted a single up the middle to chase Pennington home and give the Aggies 4-3 lead.
Kevin Whelan (0-1) replaced Moore to start the sixth and despite pitching a scoreless sixth, he ran into trouble in the seventh. Whelan allowed three runs in the inning - two scoring on a single by Kern Watts which gave the Razorbacks a two-run lead.
The Aggies could not get to Boyce (2-0) in the seventh and Zach Butler pitched two scoreless innings to earn the save.
The tournament concludes tomorrow with Texas A&M and Arkansas playing at 11 a.m., New Mexico and Arkansas taking the field at 3 p.m. and Texas A&M and New Mexcio finishing the day at 7 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Charley Boyce (2-0)
L: Whelan, Kevin (0-1)
S: Ruggiano, Justin (3)
Batting:
2B: Pennington, Cliff 1 ; Boggs, Austin 1
RBI: Pennington, Cliff 1 ; Patton, Cory 1 ; Mavroulis, Coby 1 ; Boggs, Austin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Pennington, Cliff 2 ; Stinson, Craig 1 ; Boggs, Austin 1
CS: Baldwin, Andrew 1
PO: Mavroulis, Coby 1
Batting:
2B: Pennington, Cliff 1 ; Brett Hagedorn 1
RBI: Bowe, Brian 2 ; Moore, Justin 1 ; Stroud, Todd 1 ; Brett Hagedorn 1 ; Boggs, Austin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Bowe, Brian 1 ; Nicholson, Kyle 1 ; Stroud, Todd 1 ; Pennington, Cliff 1 ; Boggs, Austin 1 ; Mavroulis, Coby 1
SB: Meyer, Jason 2
HBP: Stroud, Todd 1 ; Mavroulis, Coby 1 ; Meyer, Jason 1
PO: Mavroulis, Coby 1
