Texas A&M
17-10, 2-4
Texas Tech
19-9, 2-3
Three-Run Ninth Lifts Ags to Series Win
Mar 26, 2006 | Baseball
March 26, 2006
After trailing the entire game on Sunday afternoon, Texas A&M used four walks and an error to score three runs in the ninth to defeat Texas Tech, 5-4, before 4,614 fans at Olsen Field in the rubber match of the three-game series.
Trailing 4-2 and facing Tech closer Randy Gattis, the Aggies rallied for a vintage Olsen-Magic moment. Gattis walked Austin Boggs and Ryan Hill to start the inning and was replaced by Aaron Odom, who walked pinch hitter John Infante to load the bases. After a strikeout, Kyle Colligan drew a walk to force home a run and get A&M to within a run.
Josh Stinson then hit a chopper to first baseman James Leverton, who threw wildly in an attempt to turn a game-ending double play. Glover and Infante both scored on the play to win the game.
?That was fun,? A&M head coach Rob Childress said. ?You could feel the Olsen Magic all over the ballpark today. I am as proud of this team right now as I have been since we have been here. This was a gut-check win and hopefully it is something that is going to get us on a roll.?
With the win, the Aggies improved to 17-10 overall and to 2-4 in Big 12 play. The Red Raiders dropped to 19-9 and 2-3 in the league. Texas A&M has won three of their last four games.
Matt Ueckert (4-1) earned the win by getting Brian Capps to line out in the top of the ninth with the bases loaded. It was the only batter Ueckert faced in the game.
Odom (1-2) suffered the loss.
Tech used a pair of doubles by Roger Kieschnick and Matt Smith in the top of the first to take a 1-0 lead on A&M starting pitcher Chance Corgan.
The Red Raiders added to their lead in the top of the fourth to make the score 2-0. Brian Capps doubled with one out and moved to third on a flyout to deep center by Kyle Martin. Corgan was then cited for a balk, allowing Capps to trot home.
Trey Stewart started the top of the sixth with a double and after Corgan coaxed a flyout, he was replaced by Kyle Thebeau. The first man Thebeau faced, Brian Capps, lifted a home run over the wall in left to increase the Tech lead to 4-0.
Corgan allowed three runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings of work. He stuck out seven and walked three.
Texas A&M used a solo homer in the seventh by Jess Buenger and another by Jake Vasquez in the eighth to crawl back into the game. The home runs were the first of the season for each player and marked the first time this season A&M has hit two homers in a game.
The Aggies could not solve Red Raiders?™ starter Colt Hines, who allowed just one run on three hits in seven-complete innings of work. He struck out four and walked one.
Texas A&M returns to action this Tuesday when they travel to Beaumont, Texas, to play Lamar. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. at Vincent-Beck Stadium.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Ueckert, Matt (4-1)
L: Odom (1-2)
Batting:
2B: Kieschnick 1 ; M., Smith 1 ; Stewart 1 ; Capps 1
HR: Capps 1
RBI: M., Smith 1 ; Capps 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Kieschnick 1 ; Leverton 1 ; Capps 2
HBP: Wilkins 1
Batting:
HR: Buenger, Jess 1 ; Vasquez, Jake 1
RBI: Buenger, Jess 1 ; Colligan, Kyle 1 ; Stinson, Josh 1 ; Vasquez, Jake 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Boggs, Austin 1 ; Glover, Brandon 1 ; Infante, John 1 ; Buenger, Jess 1 ; Vasquez, Jake 1
