March 3, 2010
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Texas A&M used a three-run fifth and another strong pitching performance to lift the Aggies to a 5-3 victory over BYU Wednesday afternoon before 2,806 fans at Olsen Field.
The victory, the third straight for A&M (6-2), snapped the Cougars' three-game win streak. BYU fell to 3-5 with the loss.
"I thought we played well," A&M coach Rob Childress said. "It was a nip-and-tuck game. We got some big two-out hits in the fifth, were able to escape a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the seventh, and then finish it from there."
The Aggies used five pitchers, giving up just seven hits and two earned runs on the day while punching out 13 Cougar hitters. Complementing the arms was a nine-hit offensive attack that featured three extra-base hits and more clutch two-out hitting.
Brodie Greene put the Aggies on the board in the first with an RBI single off BYU starter Mark Anderson. The hit scored Andrew Collazo, who doubled in the previous at-bat.
A one-out triple by Sean McNaughton and a two-out RBI single by Alex Wolfe brought the Cougars even in the third.
BYU would take the lead in the fourth. After Bryce Ayoso doubled to right center to begin the frame and moved to third on a groundout, Austin Hall laced the first pitch he saw back through the box to stake his team to a 2-1 advantage.
The Aggies capitalized on an error in the last of the fourth, as Caleb Shofner with an unearned run and tied the game at two.
Greene's two-out, two-strike double with nobody on in the fifth would spark a three-run rally. He would score easily two pitches later on a Joe Patterson RBI single to make the score 3-2. Then, on the next pitch, Shofner launched his team-leading fourth home run of the year over the fence in left to put A&M up three runs.
BYU would threaten to tie the game in the seventh, as a lead error and base hit put the tying run on base for the visitors. Reliever Shane Minks then coaxed an infield grounder that forced a runner at second, leaving runners at the corners. Following a walk that loaded the bases, Estevan Uriegas came out of the pen and got Wolfe to ground to first, recording the second out of the frame but forcing a run in. That cut A&M's lead to 5-3 and moved the tying run into scoring position. John Stilson then entered out of the pen and, after a walk, struck Ayoso out swinging to end the threat and preserve the two-run lead.
Stilson would not allow another ball out of the infield, striking out five of the final six batters of the game--including all three in the ninth--to record his second save of the year.
The two-through-five spots in the A&M lineup combined for eight hits, four RBIs and five runs scored, as Greene, Patterson, Shofner and Scott Arthur had two hits apiece. Shofner picked up a team-high two RBIs on the day.
BYU was paced by Ayoso's 2-for-4 effort and a two-RBI outing by Wolfe.
Aggie starter Clayton Ehlert pitched well but did not factor in the decision, giving up five hits and two earned runs over four innings of work. He walked one and struck out three. Michael Wacha (1-0) picked up the first victory of his career in relief, tossing two shutout innings and giving up just one hit. Minks and Uriegas both recorded holds, with Stilson picking up the save. The sophomore finished the day with a season high six punch-outs, striking out all but two of the batters he faced on the afternoon.
"It was important for us to get Ehlert back out there," Childress said. "I thought he pitched through some adversity and gave us four quality innings. I thought our whole bullpen did a great job."
Cougar reliever David Parry (0-1) was saddled with the loss after allowing four hits and four runs (three earned) over two innings. He did not walk a batter and struck out one.
Texas A&M returns to action on Friday when the Aggies host undefeated Winthrop (7-0) in a three-game series at Olsen Field. First pitch on Friday is set for 6:35 p.m.