February 06, 2007
The Texas A&M pitching staff fanned 14 hitters and Brandon Hicks went 1-for-2 with two RBI, three runs scored and three stolen bases to lead the Texas A&M baseball team past Texas Southern, 9-1, in its 2007 season opener on Tuesday.
With the win, the Aggies improved to 1-0 while the Tigers dropped to 3-1. A&M improved to 44-13 in openers since 1951 and have won its last eight home openers.
?It was good to get that first one out of the way,? head coach Rob Childress said. ?We got a long way to go to have a good season. We had a good intensity level and we got a lot of guys in the game.?
The Aggies took the early lead in the bottom of the first by scoring a pair of runs off TSU starter Wayne Guillory. With one out Dane Carter walked and advanced to third on a single by Blake Stouffer. Hicks drove home Carter with a sacrifice fly and a walk to Kyle Colligan and a hit by pitch of Craig Stinson loaded the bases. Guillory then issued his fourth free pass of the inning to Darby Brown to allow Stouffer to trot home.
Jason Meyer (1-0) struck out two and allowed just one baserunner in his two-inning predetermined start to earn the win.
A&M scored three more times in the third to increase its lead to 5-0. Hicks drove in his second run of the game with a single up the middle and Brown drove in his second of the game with a sacrifice fly. Luke Anders belted a triple to right to score Colligan, who walked earlier in the inning.
The Aggies tacked on two more in the bottom of the fifth when TSU catcher Justin Holloway threw wildly to second, allowing Stouffer and Hicks to score and make the score, 7-0.
Texas Southern scored in the top of the sixth to cut the A&M lead to 7-1. Earnest Rhone singled off reliever Kiel Renfro to start the inning and a hit by pitch and walk loaded the bases. With a 2-0 count to Blaze Hinojosa, Jordan Chambless replaced Renfro and threw a pair of balls to force home a run. Chambless then struck out the next two men he faced to end the inning and the threat.
Chambless fanned five in 1 2/3 innings of work.
Josh Stinson drove in a run with a single in the bottom of the sixth to increase the A&M lead to 8-1.
Brian Ruggiano homered to left center in the seventh for his second hit of the game.
Kyle Nicholson threw two scoreless innings and Kyle Thebeau, Gary Campfield and Kirkland Rivers each threw a scoreless frame out of the pen.
Guillory (0-1) was tagged with the loss, allowing five earned runs in three-complete innings.
The Aggies return to action this weekend when they travel to Houston to play in the Minute Maid College Classic at Minute Maid Park. The Aggies open the tournament on Friday at 3:30 p.m. against No. 14 Arizona State. On Saturday, A&M plays Houston at 3:30 p.m. and concludes the tourney on Sunday with a 6 p.m. game against No. 1 Rice.