Aggies Down Winthrop 2-1 for Sixth Straight Win

Sunday, March 7

College Station

1:05 PM

Texas A&M

9-2

Winthrop

7-3

Winthrop

Texas A&M

Mar 07, 2010 | Baseball

Box Score

By: Texas A&M Athletics

March 7, 2010

Final Stats

Rob Childress [mp3]

Brodie Greene [mp3]

John Stilson [mp3]

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Brodie Greene's RBI double in the bottom of the eighth inning lifted Texas A&M to a 2-1 win over Winthrop and a series sweep Sunday afternoon before 2,739 fans at Olsen Field.

With the score tied at one apiece, Andrew Collazo led off the inning by chopping an infield single high off the plate off Eagle closer Tyler Mizenko. After Scott Arthur moved Collazo on a good sacrifice bunt, Greene one-hopped a 1-1 offering off the base of the wall in left center to give the Aggies the lead.

Reliever John Stilson would hit the lead Winthrop batter in the ninth but, after a sacrifice bunt, retired the final two batters of the game to preserve the victory.

Texas A&M won its sixth straight and improved to 9-2 on the season. The Eagles, who were held to a season-low three hits, fell to 7-3.

"We fully expected their best shot today, without question," head coach Rob Childress said. "It wasn't a surprise to anyone in our dugout, and I thought we played a great game today. Nick gave us everything he had and we played some incredible defense--not just the routine plays, but great plays. We found a way. (John) Stilson didn't have his best stuff at the end of the game but he got the job done."

In a well-pitched and well-played game defensively, runs were at a premium all afternoon long.

The Aggies got on the board off Winthrop starter Wade Newman in the second inning. With two outs, Kevin Gonzalez poked an RBI single through the right side to score Kenny Jackson, who had doubled earlier in the frame.

Eagle designated hitter Eddie Rohan tied the game in the fourth off A&M starter Nick Fleece with a double into right center field. The hit scored Sean Sullivan, who had singled, moved to second on a wild pitch and advanced to third on a ground out.

Winthrop had a great chance to take its first lead of the weekend in the sixth. Fleece hit the first batter, Adam Gliebe. Reliever Jake Feckley then entered the game and retired the next hitter on a sacrifice bunt. After Estevan Uriegas came in and walked cleanup hitter Chas Crane, the Aggies went to closer John Stilson out of the bullpen. Matt Thielepape greeted him with a line single to center that loaded the bases, but Stilson struck the final two batters out to keep the score tied at one.

A&M got eight hits on the afternoon, two apiece by Arthur, Greene and Gonzalez.

Mizenko (0-1) took the loss after allowing two hits and the eighth-inning run. Newman gave up six hits, a run and a walk while striking out two over 6 1/3 innings of work.

On the mound for the Aggies, Fleece did not factor in the decision after allowing just two hits over five-plus innings. He gave up one run and a walk while striking out one. The Aggie bullpen combined for four innings of one-hit, shutout relief, with Stilson (2-0) picking up the victory after allowing a hit and a walk in 3 2/3 innings of work.

"We always talk to our team about how championships are won on Sundays," Childress said. "You're either playing to sweep the series, playing to win the series or playing not to get swept. We're going to find ourselves in all three of those positions at some point this year, and how you respond to each one of those is the sign of what kind of team you are."

Texas A&M returns to action with a pair of mid-week games against Penn State (4-3). The Aggies and Nittany Lions will play on both Tuesday and Wednesday evenings at 6:35 p.m.

NOTES: Texas A&M now leads the all-time series with Winthrop, 3-0 ... the Aggie bullpen has not allowed an earned run in the last 35 1/3 innings of work on the season, and has given up just one all year in 42 2/3 overall ... Winthrop, which entered the weekend on a seven-game win streak, hitting .386 and averaging 10.1 runs per game, was held to five runs and a .140 average on the weekend ... Brodie Greene's (seven games), Joe Patterson's career-long hit streak ended at 15 games ... Patterson was robbed of a hit in the sixth inning on a tremendous diving catch of a line drive by Winthrop first baseman Matt Thielepape ... game-time temperature was 64 degrees with winds blowing out to left center at about nine miles per hour ... intermittent light rain fell throughout the afternoon.