Greene's Triple Lifts Aggies to 5-4 Win over Texas Tech

Saturday, March 20

College Station

6:35 PM

Texas A&M

15-3, 2-0

Texas Tech

8-12, 0-2

Texas Tech

Texas A&M

Mar 20, 2010 | Baseball

Box Score

By: Texas A&M Athletics

March 20, 2010

Final Stats

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Brodie Greene's two-out triple in the bottom of the eighth inning scored Scott Arthur with the game-winning run as No. 23 Texas A&M knocked off Texas Tech, 5-4, before 3,195 fans on a chilly Saturday evening at Olsen Field.

With the score deadlocked at four, Arthur laced a 2-2 pitch from Tech pitcher Jay Johnson into left field. Greene fell behind 0-2, took two balls, fouled off another and then lined the next offering down the right field line and into the corner. The triple scored Arthur with the eventual game-winner, and Michael Wacha set down the Red Raiders in order in the ninth to close the game.

The Aggies (15-3, 2-0), who scored all five runs on the night with two outs, won for the 12th time in their last 13 games. Tech, meanwhile, fell to 8-12 and 0-2.

"We got big hits all night long," A&M coach Rob Childress said. "I was really proud of the way we got after it tonight. We had great intensity and had a lot of fun out here in elements that are not the best. I couldn't be more prouder of the team when you talk about the conditions and the way they approached today."

Runs were at a premium all evening, as temperatures hovered near 40 degrees all night. Strong north winds blowing in from center field had wind chill readings below freezing throughout the game.

A&M struck first off Red Raider starter Bobby Doran for a pair of runs in the second. With two down, left fielder Adam Smith punched a single through the left side to score Kenny Jackson with the game's first run. After Smith stole second base, right fielder Tyler Naquin poked a double just inside the bag at third, plating Smith to make the score 2-0.

The Red Raiders would bounce right back, however, to take their first lead of the night. Taylor Ashby began the third with a single off Aggie starter Ross Stripling. Four pitches later, Kevin Whitehead launched his third home run of the year over the fence in right to tie the game. After two outs, a hit batter, wild pitch and Michael Reed RBI double to center pushed Tech ahead at 3-2.

In the Texas A&M fifth, Greene began another rally with a two-out triple to right center. Joe Patterson brought him home with the tying run on a base hit to left and, after a Caleb Shofner double and a walk, Kevin Gonzalez drew a full-count free pass to force home the go-ahead run and make the score 4-3.

"They were about to get through the fifth with a clean inning," Childress said. "They had two outs and nobody on, and just like that we string four or five great at-bats together, come up with two runs, and get the bases loaded and have a chance to break it open."

With two outs and two on in the Tech seventh, Jamodrick McGruder lifted a deep fly ball to right field. Adam Smith chased the ball down and got underneath it near the warning track, but the ball fell out of his glove. Taylor Ashby scored on the play, tying the game at four. McGruder would be the last Red Raider baserunner of the evening, however, as Wacha sat down the final seven in order.

The Aggies picked up 13 hits on the night, led by Greene's 3-for-5, two-triple night. Shofner and Smith also had two hits apiece. Texas Tech was held to five hits, the second fewest by an A&M opponent this year.

Wacha (3-0) earned the win, tossing three hitless innings of relief. He allowed the one unearned run in the seventh while walking one and fanning three. Stripling did not factor in the decision, allowing four hits and three runs while fanning a pair over 2 2/3 innings. Jake Feckley was strong in relief as well, with three innings of one-hit, shutout baseball, and Estevan Uriegas retired the only batter he faced on six pitches.

"No doubt about it, the relievers held us in there tonight," Childress said. "When you have to go to the bullpen in the third inning, you figure you're in trouble the rest of the day. Feckley was the one that gave us a stop and a strong outing, Esty got the man he was supposed to get and Wacha went out there and tossed three really strong innings."

Johnson (1-3) suffered the loss, giving up five hits, one run and a walk over 2 2/3 innings. He fanned three. Doran went five complete, giving up four runs on eight hits. He walked two and struck out six.

The series concludes on Sunday with first pitch scheduled for 1:05 p.m. Fans can tune in to the game locally on Sports Radio 1150 The Zone.

NOTES: Brodie Greene's extended his career-high hit streak to 14 games with a fifth-inning triple ... Joe Patterson streak is now seven after a first-inning single ... he has now hit safely in all but one game this year and reached safely (hit, walk or HBP) in 33 straight games dating back to last season ... the victory gives A&M the series win over Tech with one game remaining, pushing the Aggies' all-time series record against the Red Raiders in College Station (Southwest Conference and Big 12) to 18-0-2 ... Texas A&M will be looking for its second sweep of Texas Tech in Big 12 action on Sunday ... the Aggie offense has now had 10 or more hits in 12 of 18 games this season ... game-time temperature was 41 degrees with cloudy skies and winds blowing in from center at 28 (gusting to 38) ... wind-chill reading at first pitch was 30 degrees.