Texas A&M 6, Texas Tech 5

Friday, March 14

College Station

6:30 PM

Texas A&M

14-3, 1-0

Texas Tech

8-7, 0-1

Texas Tech

Texas A&M

Mar 14, 2008 | Baseball

Box Score

By: Texas A&M Athletics

March 14, 2008

Dane Carter hit a two-out, walk-off home run in the bottom of the 12th inning to give 22nd-ranked Texas A&M a wild 6-5 win over Texas Tech Friday night before 3,448 fans at Olsen Field.

Carter?™s long ball, his fourth of the year, cleared the railroad tracks behind the right field fence and ended the longest Big 12 game in school history (four hours, 32 minutes).

?It was all about toughness tonight,? A&M coach Rob Childress said. ?There was toughness coming out of both dugouts. We had opportunities early to put the game away and we didn?™t do it, but I was proud of the way we got after it. It was a good game and a good way for us to start the Big 12 race.?

With the victory, A&M won their fifth straight and improved to 14-3 and 1-0 in Big 12 play, while the Red Raiders fell to 8-7 and 0-1.

Carter, who had extended his career-best hit streak with a single in the third inning, stepped to the plate in the 12th with two outs and nobody on against Tech reliever Russ Fornea. After taking the first pitch for a ball, the Aggie senior drove a 1-0 fastball high into the night for the game-winner. It was the first walk-off home run by Texas A&M since Erik Scheidt?™s 10th-inning solo shot against Kansas on May 9, 2003.

?Honestly I was just trying to get a hit and get (Blake) Stouffer and Luke (Anders) a chance to hit,? Carter said. ?But I got it up in the air and it went out.?

Several defensive gems by the Aggies in the top of the 12th set the stage for Carter?™s heroics.

With one out and one on, Tech center fielder Tanner Rindels ripped a ball down the first base line that was blocked by Luke Anders behind the bag. Although RIndels reached on the single, Anders?™ play kept the runner at second base.

Two pitches later, designated hitter Willie Rueda drove a hard-hit ball to the right side of the infield. Aggie second baseman Blake Stouffer made a play on the ball and threw Rueda out at first. Red Raider left fielder Taylor Ashby, however, overran the bag at third and was thrown out by Anders. The double play ended the inning.

Both the Aggies and Tech left runners in scoring position in the ninth, 10th and 11th innings.

The Aggies had a chance to end the game in the 10th, but a another wild double play?-this time by the Texas Tech defense?-kept the deadlock in place.

Right fielder Daman Aaron led off the bottom of the 10th with a walk and quickly moved to second on a wild pitch. Catcher Kevin Gonzalez, trying to bunt him to third, popped a 1-2 pitch over the head of the charging third baseman. The ball fell fair for a single, but Aaron had to hold at second.

Kyle Colligan followed with a bunt attempt of his own, but the Aggie center fielder popped a high and tight pitch up in his own batter?™s box and was retired when catcher Monk Kreder caught the ball. Kreder then attempted to double off Aaron at second, but his throw went into center field. Aaron tried to advance to third base but was cut down by Rindels for the double play.

Texas Tech would take the initial lead in the game with a pair of solo home runs.

Second baseman Joey Kenworthy got things going in the first with a one-out shot to left, and Kreder followed with a two-out long ball in the second.

Brown got A&M on the board in the third, as his two-out chopper behind the bag at second scored Carter.

The Aggies began the fourth with a walk by left fielder Brian Ruggiano and a base hit to left by Aaron. One out later, Colligan hit a three-run home run off the top of the fence in center to give A&M a 4-2 lead.

Texas A&M loaded the bases to start the fourth with a double and a pair of walks but managed only one run?-on a two-out passed ball by Kreder.

Three unearned runs in the top of the seventh for Texas Tech would tie the game at five.

Kreder reached on an error to start the frame and moved to second on a balk by Aggie starter Brooks Raley. After a popout and walk, Kyle Thebeau entered in relief and walked the first batter he faced. Kenworthy would drive in a run on a ground ball to short, but a nice play by A&M shortstop Jose Duran got the runner at third for the second out.

First baseman Jason Seefeld followed that with a double down the left field line that cut the lead to one. After an intentional walk to right fielder Roger Kieschnick, third baseman Doug Thennis drew a full-count walk to push home the tying run.

A&M closer Travis Starling (1-0) picked up the win in relief, tossing three shutout innings and allowing three hits while walking one and fanning two.

Raley lasted 6 1/3 innings in his second career start, allowing five hits, four runs (two earned) while walking two and striking out six. Thebeau worked 2 2/3 innings and issued two hits and five walks. He allowed one earned run and punched out two Red Raider batters.

Texas Tech starter A.J. Ramos went 4 2/3 on the night and gave up six hits, five runs (four earned) and eight walks while striking out seven. Six Red Raider relievers would combine to toss 5 2/3 shutout innings and allow just three hits, before the last one?-Russ Fornea?-gave up Carter?™s home run. His record fell to 1-2.

The series continues on Saturday at 2 p.m. A&M will send freshman Barret Loux (0-0, 4.85) to the hill, while Tech will counter with sophomore Nate Karns (1-1, 8.10 ERA). The game will air locally on Sports Radio 1150 The Zone.

TEXAS A&M POSTGAME NOTES

?* Tonight?™s 12-inning victory matched a 7-5 loss to Kansas on April 1, 2005, as the longest conference game (by innings) in school history.

?* The game was the longest between the Aggies and Red Raiders since Big 12 play began in 1997, and the third to go extra innings. The teams went 10 innings on Feb. 28, 1998 and again on March 1, 2002?-both in College Station.

?* At four hours, 32 minutes, tonight?™s win marked the longest game since a 19-14, 11-inning win at Houston on March 27, 1993. That one lasted four hours, 34 minutes. In 2007, the Aggies?™ longest contest was a 10-9, 10-inning win over Rice on March 20 (four hours, 31 minutes).

?* The Aggies improved to 6-6 all time in Big 12 openers, and have won two in a row.

?* This marked the third Big 12 opener that A&M has seen go extra innings (11-inning, 2-1 loss to Baylor, Feb. 24, 2001; 10-inning, 7-6 win over Texas Tech, March 1, 2002).

?* Brooks Raley became just the second true freshman in Texas A&M history to start a Big 12 opener?...Casey Fossum got the nod in the Aggies?™ first-ever Big 12 game on Feb. 28, 1997 at Baylor.

?* Texas A&M now leads the series, 86-50. The Aggies now lead, 19-18, since the formation of the Big 12 in 1997.

?* With three innings of work, Travis Starling posted the second longest outing of his career. His high is 3 2/3 against Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship on May 25, 2007.

?* Kyle Colligan made his first start in center field since March 2 against Louisiana Tech.

?* Luke Anders set a career high with three walks.