(#16) Texas A&M 7, (#25) Oklahoma State 4

Saturday, April 25

College Station

2:05 PM

Texas A&M

27-15, 12-8

Oklahoma State

28-16, 6-10

Oklahoma State

Texas A&M

Apr 25, 2009 | Baseball

Box Score

By: Texas A&M Athletics

April 25, 2009

Final Stats

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Home runs by Joe Patterson and Adam Smith highlighted a five-run eighth inning for Texas A&M, as the 16th-ranked Aggies rallied to defeat No. 25 Oklahoma State, 7-4, and move into a tie for first in the Big 12 standings on Saturday afternoon before 5,332 fans at Olsen Field.

Trailing 4-2 entering the frame, A&M got a lead two-strike single by Kevin Gonzalez that brought Patterson to the plate. The Tulsa native smashed the first pitch he saw over the fence in left center, as the opposite-field shot--his fourth long ball of the year--tied the game at four.

After a base hit and sacrifice bunt moved the go-ahead run to second, Smith launched the first pitch he saw from Breedlove off the scoreboard in left-center field to put the Aggies on top, 6-4.

A&M would add another run on a two-out RBI single by Kyle Colligan and Nick Fleece recorded the final three outs in the ninth to seal the victory. Texas A&M improved to 27-15 and 12-8 in Big 12 play, and sits atop the league with Texas after the Longhorns fell to Kansas State in 12 innings on Saturday. The Cowboys, meanwhile, fell to 28-16 and 6-10.

As with Friday's series opener, the two starters--Aggie freshman Ross Hales and OSU junior Tyler Lyons--locked into a strong pitcher's duel, taking the game into the seventh deadlocked at two.

A two-out, two-run home run to left by State catcher Kevin David started the scoring in the third and gave the Cowboys a 2-0 lead.

A&M answered quickly in the bottom of the frame to cut the lead in half. Brodie Greene led off the inning with back-to-back singles, and both moved up a base on a Brooks Raley sacrifice. The next batter, Luke Anders, launched a deep fly ball to center that plated Smith and made the score 2-1.

The Aggies tied the game in the sixth. Back-to-back one-out singles by Kyle Colligan and Kevin Gonzalez put runners at the corners for the pinch-hitter, Patterson, who once again came through. The junior hit a sharp grounder toward the hole on the right side, where second baseman Davis Duren fielded it moving towards the right-field line. Duren's throw bounced in to second, allowing Gonzalez to reach safely, negating any chance of a double play and bringing Colligan home with the tying run.

The Cowboys answered back quickly, however. Thomas Belza launched a one-out triple to the base of the wall in left center and, after a walk, came home on a sac-fly line drive to left off the bat of Micheal Dabbs that gave OSU a 3-2 lead.

Pinch-hitter Jared Womack made the score 4-2 in the top of the eighth, punching a single off the glove of a diving Shofner at third and into shallow left field to score Neil Medchill from second.

Greene was a game-high 4-for-4 in the leadoff spot for A&M, while Kevin Gonzalez added three hits and Patterson drove in three runs. Smith was also 2-for-4 on the day with the two RBIs. The Aggies racked up 14 hits on the afternoon. Belza paced the OSU offense with a 3-for-3 effort.

True freshman Estevan Uriegas (1-0) earned his first career victory, retiring the only batter he faced in the game, Davis Duren, to end the eighth.

Breedlove (1-2) suffered the loss in relief, giving up four hits and four runs in 2/3 of an inning.

Once again, neither starter factored in the decision. Hales lasted allowed six hits and three runs over 6 2/3 innings on the day. He walked three and struck out a career-high 10.

Lyons also went 6 2/3 and gave up eight hits, two runs and two walks while striking out four.

Sunday's series finale is set for 1:05 p.m. and will be televised regionally by COX Sports TV. A&M will send Barret Loux (2-1, 4.78 ERA) to the mound to face Oklahoma State's Tyler Blandford (6-2, 4.55). The game is available locally in Bryan/College Station on Suddenlink Digital Channel 119. The Aggies will also recognize the legendary 1989 team prior to the game as part of its 20-year reunion festivities. Tickets are available at the gate or online at aggieathletics.com.

POSTGAME NOTES

• Over 20 members of the 1959 Southwest Conference Champion Texas A&M baseball team were in attendance for Saturday's game as part of its 50th reunion festivities...among those at Olsen were Byron Barber '61, J.B. Carroll '60, Don Chase '60, Bill Clifford '60, Don Costlow '61, Cliff Davis '61, Bo Galle '61, Ray Hannigan '61, Gary Herrington '59, Dick Hickerson, Jr. '61, Bill Houchin, Jr. '60, Charles Paradowski '59, Ralph Plumlee, Jr. '60, Jack Roeder '61, Percy Sanderson '60, Wayne Schaper '59, Wayne Balke '59, Mrs. Don Hullum, Coach Les Palmer and Willowdean Chandler.

• Ross Hales' 10 strikeouts was a career best for the freshman, and was the ninth double-digit strikeout performance by an Aggie pitcher this year.

• Aggie pitching fanned 10 or more batters (11) in a game for the 24th time this year...the Aggie staff has punched out 416 hitters so far this year, 120 shy of the school record (set in 1991 and 1999) with 13 regular-season games remaining.

• Texas A&M has now come from behind in 17 of its 27 wins in 2009.

• Brodie Greene totaled four hits in a game (career high) for the third time this season and fourth time in his career.

• Luke Anders extended his hit streak to a season-high eight games...Caleb Shofner matched his season high by hitting safely in his seventh straight contest.

• Game-time temperature was 83 degrees with partly cloudy skies and winds blowing out to center at 16 (gusting to 24).

POSTGAME QUOTES

HEAD COACH Kyle Thebeau and Esty (Uriegas) and Nick Fleece all came in and shut them down."

(on evening up the series) "We talked about it this morning, that the last two years we've won on Friday and lost Saturday and Sunday. We wanted to reverse the trend. It was nice to come out and win today. It was huge. That was a gut check. It was a character check about our team, and what we're made of, to come back and win it."