Missouri 3, (#3) Texas A&M 2

Friday, March 20

Columbia, Mo.

6:30 PM

Texas A&M

13-8, 2-2

Missouri

10-10, 2-2

Texas A&M

Missouri

Mar 20, 2009 | Baseball

Box Score

By: Texas A&M Athletics

March 20, 2009

Final Stats

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Missouri starter Kyle Gibson threw his second straight complete game to pitch the Tigers past No. 3 Texas A&M, 3-2, in a Friday night Big 12 battle before 1,034 fans at Taylor Stadium.

The Aggies (13-8, 2-2 Big 12) fought back into the game with a two-run seventh that knotted the score a two, but a late Mizzou run would prove the difference in the series opener between the teams. Gibson, the reigning national pitcher of the week, struck out a career-high 16 batters for Missouri (10-10, 2-2).

A&M sophomore Brooks Raley was brilliant on the mound as well, throwing seven gutsy innings and giving up seven hits and two walks. He fanned nine batters for the second straight game, while allowing two first-inning runs before blanking the Tigers the rest of the way.

With one out in a tie ballgame in the bottom of the eighth, Mizzou's Greg Folgia and Conner Mach connected on back-to-back singles to put runners at the corners for Steve Gray. The Tiger pinch-hitter battled Aggie reliever Kyle Thebeau to a 2-2 count before chopping a ball at second baseman Scott Arthur. A&M tried to turn an inning-ending double play, but Gray just beat the throw to first, allowing Folgia to cross the plate and give Mizzou the lead.

A&M would get the tying run into scoring position in the ninth, as Dylan Petrich drilled a one-out single through the left side and swiped second one out later, but Gibson would register one final strikeout to nail down his second straight complete game victory.

Mizzou took an early lead with a pair of first-inning runs. After back-to-back one out singles put runners at the corners, Aaron Senne drove in the game's first run with an RBI groundout to third. The next batter, Folgia, followed with a single to left to make the score 2-0.

Raley worked out of a big jam in the third inning. After a lead double, fielder's choice on a sacrifice attempt and a walk loaded the bases for Missouri, the Aggie southpaw sat down the four, five and six hitters for the Tigers in order--two strikeouts sandwiched around an infield pop up--to keep MU off the board.

After the second-inning walk, Raley would retire 11 of the next 13 Tigers, not allowing either of the two that did reach to get to second base, to carry the Aggies into the seventh--where they would get to Gibson and tie the game.

Back-to-back singles by Raley and Kyle Colligan set the Aggies up in the frame, before Luke Anders was hit by a 2-2 pitch to load the bases with no outs. One out later, Brett Parsons hit a hard ground ball off the glove of Gibson, who went to first for the out as Raley scored to cut the Mizzou lead in half.

The next batter, pinch-hitter Joe Patterson, was unable to check his swing on an 0-1 pitch at his feet--which worked to A&M's advantage, as the ball caromed off his foot and back to the backstop. The wild pitch brought Colligan home with the tying run. Anders moved to third on the play, but Gibson got an inning-ending strikeout to push the game to the eighth--where the Tigers would score the eventual game-winner.

Raley also provided a spark for the Aggie offense, going 2-for-3 on the night with a run scored. Folgia had a game-high three hits for Mizzou.

Thebeau (0-1) was saddled with the loss, allowing the two hits and one run in the eighth.

Gibson's 16-strikeout effort bested his previous career high of 13, set last Friday in a win over No. 1 Texas in Austin. He gave up five hits and two earned runs while walking one, and had not allowed a run in his previous 21 innings of work before the seventh inning tonight.

The series continues Saturday with first pitch set for 2 p.m. Junior Alex Wilson (2-2, 2.16 ERA) will take the hill for the Aggies against Missouri senior Ian Berger (1-2, 6.50). Fans can listen locally to the game on Sports Radio 1150 The Zone or worldwide free of charge on aggieathletics.com or radioaggieland.com.

POSTGAME NOTES

• Brooks Raley sixth-inning strikeout of Conner Mach was the 100th of his Aggie career.

• Game-time temperature was 59 degrees with cloudy skies and winds blowing out to left center at 11 miles per hour, gusting to 23.

POSTGAME QUOTES

HEAD COACH Rob Childress: "I thought we competed really well. We pitched and played great defense all night long. You have to tip your hat to Kyle Gibson--he was outstanding tonight--but so was our pitching. I like the way we competed."

(on the effort of Brooks Raley) "Raley wasn't very sharp, but from about the third inning on he competed his tail off. It's probably the most proud I've been of Brooks Raley since he's been on the mound here at Texas A&M, because he didn't have his best stuff and he competed really well. He gave us a chance to win the game late."

(on the team's effort) "Winning is hard. Losing is easy, all you have to do is show up. Our guys are fighting their tails off to finish games. We're going to get our offense going. I was proud of our effort on the mound tonight and I was proud of us defensively. We gave a great effort tonight."