Texas A&M
10-3
Arkansas
11-1
Wild Rally Gives Aggies Tourney Title
Feb 29, 2004 | Baseball
February 29, 2004
Eric Scheidt's two-run double in the top of the ninth inning highlighted a five-run Texas A&M rally as the No. 14 Aggies defeated Arkansas 9-7 Sunday afternoon before 3,406 at Olsen Field.
With the win A&M clinched the Domino's Pizza Aggie Baseball Classic title and improved to 11-1 and 4-1. The Razorbacks fell to 10-3 and 2-3.
With Texas A&M trailing 7-4 heading into the top of the ninth, Arkansas closer Zach Butler walked the first two batters before an infield single by Cliff Pennington loaded the bases with no outs. A fielder's choice ground ball to second by Cory Patton drove in Coby Mavroulis from third with the first run and put runners on the corners.
The next batter, John Infante, hit a high chopper to third base. Brett Hagedorn's throw across the diamond pulled the first baseman Haas Pratt off the bag, allowing Infante to reach safely on the error and Erik Schindewolf to score, cutting the lead to one.
Aggie first baseman Eric Scheidt battled through a 13-pitch at bat before doubling to score Patton and Infante, giving A&M an 8-7 lead, and chasing Butler from the mound. After another error and an infield single, Craig Stinson was hit by a Matt Stallings pitch to drive in another run. Mavroulis then lined into a double play to end the rally.
Pennington moved onto the hill from shortstop with two on and one out in the bottom of the ninth and retired the two batters he faced in order to earn his first career save. It was the first mound action the sophomore had seen in his A&M career.
The start of the game, the first of the final day at the tournament, was delayed 92 minutes by rain.
Arkansas took a three-run lead in the bottom of the first off Aggie starter Tyler Soeder.
Casey Rowlett led off the inning with a single and Devin Day followed that with a double to right center to put runners on second and third. One out later, Pratt grounded out to second to drive in Rowlett with the game's first run. The next batter, Razorback shortstop Scott Hode, hit his first home run of the season deep down the left field line to make the score 3-0.
Two key Arkansas errors with two outs in the top of the second would give A&M the lead.
Infante led off the frame with a bunt single on the infield, and Andrew Baldwin followed one out later with a double down the third base line. After a pop out to shallow center field, Craig Stinson was hit by a pitch to load the bases. The next batter, Parker Dalton, chopped a hard grounder to Hagedorn, whose throw to first sailed high down the right field line and allowed all three Aggie runners to score and Dalton to advance to third. Schindewolf's ensuing ground ball was booted by Hode to bring home Dalton and give A&M a 4-3 lead.
Arkansas tied the game at four in the bottom of the third on an RBI single by Bubbs Merrill that scored Rowlett from second.
The Razorbacks would tack on another run in the fourth to go up 5-4. Soeder issued a one-out walk to Blake Parker before coaxing Brady Toops to pop out to third base. Danny Hamblin then doubled to left center to score Parker with the go-ahead run.
Arkansas added to its lead with two runs in the bottom half of the seventh inning. Reliever Austin Creps retired the first two batters of the frame before Merrill legged out an infield single to start the rally. Creps then walked Pratt and Scott Bridges to load the bases before hitting Hagedorn to force in pinch runner Steve Robison with the first run. Pinch hitter Jake Dugger then drew a bases-loaded walk to make the score 7-4.
Blake Rampy relieved Creps and got Toops to line out to center, ending the rally.
The Aggies threatened in the top half of the eighth when Infante led off with a single and Scheidt drew a walk, but Butler entered the game and retired the next three A&M batters in order to kill the rally.
Jon Michael Cline (1-0) got the win for the Aggies in relief in his first action of the season. The junior transfer allowed just one hit and fanned two in 1 2/3 innings.
Butler (1-1) took the loss for Arkansas, giving up two hits and five runs in 1 1/3 innings of work. Three of the runs charged to Butler were earned.
Soeder lasted four innings in his first career start, giving up seven hits, five earned runs, walking one and striking out two.
Brannon went six innings for Arkansas and allowed five hits and one walk while striking out two. He gave up four runs on the afternoon but none were earned.
The final day of the Domino's Pizza Aggie Baseball Classic continues with Arkansas meeting New Mexico followed by the Aggies facing the Lobos. The scheduled start time of the final game is 7 p.m.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Cline, Jon Michael (1-0)
L: Ruggiano, Justin (0-1)
S: Pennington, Cliff (1)
Batting:
2B: Scheidt, Eric 1 ; Baldwin, Andrew 1
RBI: Schindewolf, Erik 1 ; Patton, Cory 1 ; Infante, John 1 ; Scheidt, Eric 2 ; Stinson, Craig 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Schindewolf, Erik 1 ; Patton, Cory 1 ; Infante, John 2 ; Scheidt, Eric 1 ; Baldwin, Andrew 1 ; Stinson, Craig 1 ; Dalton, Parker 1 ; Mavroulis, Coby 1
CS: Schindewolf, Erik 1
HBP: Stinson, Craig 2
Batting:
2B: Dalton, Parker 1 ; Mavroulis, Coby 1 ; Alexander, Matt 1
HR: Creps, Austin 1
RBI: Jackson, Zach 1 ; Stroud, Todd 1 ; Creps, Austin 2 ; Brett Hagedorn 1 ; Nicholson, Kyle 1 ; Alexander, Matt 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Dalton, Parker 2 ; Mavroulis, Coby 1 ; Ray, Robert 1 ; Stroud, Todd 1 ; Creps, Austin 1 ; Jackson, Brent 1
CS: Jackson, Brent 1
HBP: Meyer, Jason 1 ; Brett Hagedorn 1 ; Pennington, Cliff 1
