February 24, 2006
Kyle Nicholson tossed 6 1/3 innings and struck out six on Friday night to lead Texas A&M to a 5-1 win over UNC Greensboro in first day action of the Domino?â„¢s Pizza Aggie Baseball Classic at Olsen Field.
Nicholson?â„¢s (2-0) outing was the longest of his career and he allowed just one run on three hits, while allowing only one free pass.
Spencer Jackson led the way offensively with a two RBI double in the fourth.
The Aggies?â„¢ 9-0 start is the best since the 2004 team started 10-0. It is the 11th time since 1950 that the Aggie shave started the season with at least nine-straight wins.
?This was like a Friday night Big 12-type of game with a lot of zeros on the scoreboard,? head coach Rob Childress said. ?We scored first and that is a big thing. I tell our starting pitchers that we are the team that is going to score first. I don?â„¢t care if we don?â„¢t score until the sixth. Our starters need to throw up zeros until we score first.?
Texas A&M has scored first in all nine of its games this season.
Hart Hering recorded the last two outs in the seventh and Jason Meyer and Jordan Chambless each threw a scoreless inning to close the door on UNCG.
The Aggies took the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Keith Stein singled and stole second and after a walk to Austin Boggs, Nick Starnes replaced UNCG starter Clinton McKinney on the mound. Stein and Boggs moved up a station on a wild pitch and scored on Jackson?â„¢s double down the line in right. Jackson later scored on a single by Adam Hale.
The Spartans cut the A&M lead to 3-1 in the top of the seventh. Nicholson walked Guy Welsh to start the inning. Greg Matson delivered an RBI double to score Welsh. After Nicholson retired Adam Deleo on a harmless flyout, Hering replaced Nicholson and retired the first two men he faced to end the inning and the threat.
The Aggies stretched their lead to 5-1 in the bottom of the eighth. With runners on second and third and one out, Ryan Hill perfectly executed a squeeze bunt to score pinch runner Blake Stouffer from third. Jose Salazar, who was running from second, never stopped and scored as third baseman Guy Welsh?â„¢s throw to first pulled first baseman Logan Smith off the bag.
?The double squeeze is an exciting play when it works,? Childress said. ?That is a set play and Salazar knew he was going to run if the third baseman made a throw to first.?
In the first game of the day, Utah (5-5) defeated Missouri State (0-1), 4-1. Utah starter Josh Cooper allowed only one run on seven hits in eight-complete innings of work.
The tournament continues on Saturday with a pair of games. Missouri State and UNC Greensboro play at 1 p.m. and Utah faces Texas A&M at 7 p.m.