Utah 2, (#4) Texas A&M 0

Saturday, March 7

College Station

6:35 PM

Texas A&M

10-3

Utah

6-5

Utah

Texas A&M

Mar 07, 2009 | Baseball

Box Score

By: Texas A&M Athletics

March 7, 2009

Final Stats

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - No. 4 Texas A&M saw its four-game win streak come to an end with a 2-0 loss to Utah Saturday night before 5,531 fans at Olsen Field.

The Aggies (10-3) got another brilliant pitching performance from junior Alex Wilson, who matched a season high with 14 strikeouts in six innings of work and allowed just three hits and one walk. The Utes (6-5), however, would score an unearned run off Wilson in the sixth and add an insurance run in the eighth to record the victory.

Utah pitching worked out of two huge jams to preserve the shutout, including a bases-loaded, no-out Aggie rally in the second and a second-and-third, no-out A&M threat in the seventh. The Aggies got the lead runner on in six of the nine innings but were unable to push anyone across, stranding eight of their 10 runners on the night in scoring position.

The game remained a scoreless pitcher's duel until the sixth, when the Utes pushed the first run across.

With one out in the inning, Utah second baseman Corey Shimada ended up on second after his fly ball to center was dropped. The next batter, designated hitter C.J. Cron, hit a hard ball towards the hole on the left side that kicked off shortstop Adam Smith's glove and stayed on the infield. The base hit put runners on the corners, and first baseman Austin Jones followed by lacing a 3-1 pitch into right center field to drive in the game's first run.

Utah added a run in the eighth, and once again Shimada was the catalyst. After leading off the frame with a bunt single to the right side, he promptly stole second and one out later swiped third. After a pitching change, Austin Jones hit a chopper to the left of the pitcher's mound that brought Shimada in from third to make the score 2-0.

A&M rallied in the ninth off the Ute bullpen, putting two on with one out, but Utah closer Robert Chimpky coaxed a game-ending double play to quell the threat.

Wilson (1-2) suffered the loss. He allowed his first hit in the fourth and two more in the sixth, before striking out the final two batters of the inning after Jones' RBI single. The junior fanned every batter in the Utah starting lineup at least once.

Jordan Whatcott (2-0) allowed two hits over six shutout innings to pick up the victory, walking five and striking out three. Stephen Streich earned a hold with two shutout innings of work before Chimpky came in to pick up the save.

The series will conclude on Sunday with first pitch set for 1:05 p.m. The Aggies will send sophomore Barret Loux (0-0, 5.23 ERA) to the hill, while Utah will counter with junior Bryn Card (1-1, 1.84). The game will air locally on WTAW-AM 1620 and free live video will be available on aggieathletics.com. Fans are reminded that Daylight Savings Time begins at 2 a.m. on Sunday and that clocks should be set ahead one hour.

POSTGAME NOTES

• Alex Wilson matched his 14-strikeout performance from his season debut (Feb. 21 vs Wright State)...the junior has now fanned 35 batters in 18 2/3 innings of work on the young season.

• A&M is now 8-2 at home on the year.

• The series between the schools is now tied at three.

• Gametime temperature was 77 degrees with cloudy skies and winds blowing out to center field at 18 miles per hour (gusting to 30).

POSTGAME QUOTES

HEAD COACH Alex Wilson, as well as Travis Starling and Denny Clement. That's one you don't get back. We had our opportunities, bases loaded no outs and runners at second and third, no outs, and had a chance again in the ninth but weren't able to cash in. We weren't able to put the ball in play when we had opportunities to score. Give their pitchers credit, they did a nice job."

(on the defense) "When you're playing a weekend-type game with two good pitchers going, the team that makes the fewest mistakes is going to win. We drop a routine fly ball in center field, and we don't handle the baseball on the chopper to third base when they're going on contact. We still had an opportunity to get an out at the plate if we just play catch, and we didn't do that."