Texas A&M
13-4
Notre Dame
3-5
Texas A&M Drops Tourney Opener to Notre Dame
Mar 10, 2006 | Baseball
March 10, 2006
No. 15 Texas A&M drew 11 walks and stole nine bases on Friday night, but they stranded 13 runners in a 5-4 loss to Notre Dame in first-day action of the UTSA Baseball Classic at Nelson Wolff Stadium.
With the loss, the Aggies dropped to 13-4 while the Fighting Irish improved to 3-5.
A&M mounted a two-out rally in the bottom of the ninth but could not deliver the final blow. With two outs and nobody on, Craig Stinson barley missed a game-tying homer, pulling a full-count pitch just left of the foul pole in left. After a couple of walks and two stolen bases, the Aggies had the tying run at third and the winning run at second. Notre Dame closer Kyle Weiland struck out Brandon Glover to end the game and earn his second save of the season.
?Our bullpen has done a great job for us through the first 16 games but didn?™t happen tonight,? A&M head coach Rob Childress said. ?We still had an opportunity to win it in the ninth and just didn?™t get the big hit.?
For the first time this season, the Texas A&M bullpen relinquished the lead.
The Aggies were ahead 4-1 heading into the top of the eighth. Three consecutive singles off A&M reliever Jason Meyer loaded the bases before being replaced by Jordan Chambless. Chambless walked the first man he faced to force home a run. After Sean Gaston grounded into a double play to score a run, Jeremy Barnes singled home the tying run and stole second. Cody Rizzo then doubled to left center to plate Barnes and make the score 5-4.
The Aggies took the lead with three-run seventh. Austin Boggs stroked a RBI double to left and Craig Stinson lined a two-out bases-loaded single to right to do the damage and give the Aggies a three-run cushion.
Notre Dame scored first in the top of the first with a pair of two-out hits off A&M starter Kyle Nicholson. Brett Lilley singled and then scored on a triple to right by Gaston. The run was the first allowed by the A&M pitching staff in the opening frame this season.
The Aggies were robbed of a run in the bottom of the third by Irish right fielder Danny Dressman. With a runner at third and two outs, Jose Salazar ripped an offering from Notre Dame starter Jeff Samardzija into right. Dressman made a diving catch to preserve the Irish lead.
A&M was able to cross the plate in the bottom of the fifth. Josh Stinson walked to start the inning, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Brandon Glover and trotted to third when Parker Dalton grounded out to second. John Infante delivered a two-out RBI single to left to tie the game.
David Phelps (1-0) recorded the final out in the seventh to earn the win and Chambless (1-1) suffered the loss.
Each starting pitcher lasted 5 1/3 innings and did not figure in the decision. Nicholson allowed four hits and struck out two.
Texas A&M continues with the tournament on Saturday against Louisiana-Lafayette. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. at Nelson Wolff Stadium.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: David Phelps (1-0)
L: Chambless, Jordan (1-1)
S: Kyle Weiland (2)
Batting:
2B: Cody Rizzo 1 ; Alex Nettey 1
3B: Sean Gaston 1
RBI: Brett Lilley 1 ; Sean Gaston 1 ; J. Barnes 1 ; Cody Rizzo 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Craig Cooper 1 ; D. Dressman 1 ; Brett Lilley 1 ; J. Barnes 1 ; Greg Lopez 1
SB: J. Barnes 1
CS: Craig Cooper 1 ; Cody Rizzo 1
Batting:
2B: Infante, John 1 ; Boggs, Austin 1
RBI: Infante, John 1 ; Boggs, Austin 1 ; Stinson, Craig 2
SH: Infante, John 1 ; Glover, Brandon 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Salazar, Jose 1 ; Boggs, Austin 1 ; Stinson, Josh 1 ; Dalton, Parker 1
SB: Infante, John 2 ; Boggs, Austin 1 ; Hale, Adam 1 ; Stouffer, Blake 2 ; Buenger, Jess 1 ; Dalton, Parker 2
CS: Vasquez, Jake 1
HBP: Dalton, Parker 1
