Aggies Down Baylor in QTI Classic, 4-2

Saturday, February 27

Waco, Texas

1:00 PM

Texas A&M

4-2

Baylor

4-2

Texas A&M

Baylor

Feb 27, 2010 | Baseball

Box Score

By: Texas A&M Athletics

Feb. 27, 2010

WACO, Texas - Ross Stripling and John Stilson combined to allow one earned run and Texas A&M pounded out 13 hits--four coming off the bat of leadoff man Andrew Collazo--en route to a hard-fought 4-2 win over Baylor Saturday afternoon in the QTI Baylor Classic at Baylor Ballpark.

Making just the second start of his career, Stripling allowed six hits and one earned run over five-plus innings. Stilson relieved him in the sixth, the only frame in which the Bears would score, and gave up no hits over four innings to pick up his first career save. The result, which does not count in the Big 12 standings, gave the Aggies and Bears identical 4-2 records.

"I was proud of our perseverance today," A&M coach Rob Childress said. "We were able to overcome ourselves. This was an important win, one in which we were able to bounce back after losing a couple of tough ones. This team has a very short-term memory and it again brought swagger and attitude to the field. They came out and competed their tails off from the word go and did it against a really good pitcher. We swung the bats well and we're excited to be leaving the park with a victory."

The game was a scoreless affair until A&M finally broke through in the top of the fifth off Baylor starter Logan Verrett.

Joaquin Hinojosa drew a lead walk and moved to second on a good sacrifice bunt by Tyler Naquin. Kevin Gonzalez then moved Hinojosa to third when he singled off the glove of a diving Raynor Campbell at third, putting runners at the corners. One out later, Andrew Collazo chopped a 2-1 pitch high near the bag at second, where Joey Hainsfurther was unable to field it cleanly. The infield single brought home the game's first run and gave the Aggies a 1-0 lead.

Baylor would threaten Stripling but not score in the bottom of the frame. With one out, Campbell chopped a ball to short, but the throw by Caleb Shofner off the bag at first. The play was ruled a hit, and the next batter--Josh Ludy--punched the first pitch hard into right field to put the tying run in scoring position. Stripling, however, coaxed two flyouts to shut down the threat.

The Aggies would use that momentum to extend their lead to 4-0 in the sixth.

Shofner poked a 1-out RBI single through the right side to score Kenny Jackson, who had walked to begin the inning and stolen second. Following an out, Tyler Naquin singled to right and stole second to put two in scoring position for Kevin Gonzalez. The Aggie catcher laced a two-strike single past a diving Hainsfurther and into right, driving home a pair.

The Bears finally touched Stripling in the bottom half of the frame, pushing across their two runs on the day.

After a lead single, error and wild pitch, Baylor had two in scoring position to start the inning. Max Muncy would line a base hit to right to put the Bears on the board, make the score 4-1 and force Stripling from the game. Stilson, who entered the game with a 1-0 count, walked Dan Evatt on three more pitches. After a strikeout of Cal Towey, Campbell drew a full-count walk to force home the second run, but Stilson would punch out the final two batters with the bases loaded to shut down the rally.

It would be the last threat the Bears would mount, as they managed just one more baserunner the rest of the game--a one-out walk in the ninth.

Collazo, hitting in the leadoff spot for the first time in his young Aggie career, had a game-high four knocks. Shofner and Gonzalez also had two hits apiece, while Joe Patterson extended his hit streak to a career-high 11 games with a second-inning single.

Campbell and Vick combined for four of the Bears' six hits on the evening.

Stripling (2-0) got the win, going five-plus and allowing six hits and two runs (one earned) while punching out three. He did not walk a batter. Stilson picked up his first save after four no-hit, shutout innings that saw him walk three and strike out five.

"Ross Stripling was incredible," Childress said. "He had a great performance and probably deserved to stay out there a little bit longer. I felt like the sixth inning was a save situation there, and John Stilson didn't disappoint. He was a little shaky early but settled down and got the last 12 outs for us in a big way."

Verrett (0-2) was saddled with the loss after allowing 11 hits, four runs and a walk over seven innings. He struck out seven batters on the afternoon.

Texas A&M concludes play in the QTI Baylor Classic on Sunday evening when the Aggies face defending Southland Conference champion Texas State. First pitch is set for 5 p.m. and fans can listen on WTAW-AM 1620, aggieathletics.com or radioaggieland.com.