Texas A&M
14-2
UCLA
11-4
Aggies Take Series with 8-2 Win over UCLA
Mar 07, 2004 | Baseball
March 07, 2004
Kevin Whelan drove in three runs and Zach Jackson pitched 6 1/3 solid innings to lead No. 12 Texas A&M to a 8-2 win over UCLA in front of 556 fans Sunday afternoon at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
Jackson (4-0) allowed two earned runs on five hits. He fanned six UCLA hitters and walked three.
With the win, the Aggies improved to 14-2 while UCLA dropped to 11-5.
The Aggies took the early lead in the top of the first. With two outs and nobody on, UCLA starting pitcher Wes Whisler walked Cory Patton, who promptly stole second. Eric Scheidt delivered a single to right to score the game's initial run.
A&M touched Whisler for two more runs in the top of the second. After Justin Ruggiano doubled to left center, Kevin Whelan launched a home run down the line in left to make the score 3-0.
The Aggies stretched their lead to 5-0 in the top of the sixth. Coby Mavroulis led off with a double down the left-field line and John Infante walked. Whisler was then lifted in favor of Adam Simon. Austin Boggs perfectly executed a sacrifice bunt and Ruggiano singled to right to score Mavroulis. Simon balked, allowing Infante to trot home.
Whisler (1-1) lasted five-plus innings, allowing five earned runs on six hits.
Cliff Pennington extended the A&M lead to six runs in the top of the seventh when he slammed his second homer the season.
UCLA finally got to Jackson in the seventh when Ryan McCarthy hit a two-run homer to make the score 6-2 and chase Jackson from the game.
Blake Rampy replaced Jackson and retired eight straight hitters to end the game.
In the top of the eighth, UCLA reliever Brant Rustich hit John Infante, allowed a single to Austin Boggs and walked Justin Ruggiano before being replaced by Kyle Wilson. Whelan's sacrifice fly drove in Infante and moved the other two runners up a station. Wilson intentionally walked Erik Schindewolf to load the bases before Pennington drove in a run with a sacrifice fly to move the A&M lead to six runs.
The Aggies return to action this Tuesday, March 9, when they travel to Houston to play the Cougars. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. at Cougar Field.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Jackson, Zach (4-0)
L: Whisler (1-1)
Batting:
2B: Mavroulis, Coby 1 ; Ruggiano, Justin 1
HR: Pennington, Cliff 1 ; Whelan, Kevin 1
RBI: Pennington, Cliff 2 ; Scheidt, Eric 1 ; Ruggiano, Justin 1 ; Whelan, Kevin 3
SH: Boggs, Austin 1
SF: Pennington, Cliff 1 ; Whelan, Kevin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Pennington, Cliff 1 ; Patton, Cory 1 ; Mavroulis, Coby 1 ; Infante, John 2 ; Boggs, Austin 1 ; Ruggiano, Justin 1 ; Whelan, Kevin 1
SB: Patton, Cory 1
HBP: Infante, John 1 ; Whelan, Kevin 1
PO: Whelan, Kevin 1
Batting:
2B: Susdorf 1 ; Thayer 1
HR: McCarthy 1
RBI: McCarthy 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Denove 1 ; McCarthy 1
HBP: McMillan 1
