Ehlert's Gem Lifts Aggies to 7-1 Win over No. 23 Rice

Tuesday, April 20

College Station

6:35 PM

Texas A&M

21-14-1

Rice

23-16

Rice

Texas A&M

Apr 20, 2010 | Baseball

Box Score

By: Texas A&M Athletics

April 20, 2010

Final Stats

Rob Childress [mp3]

Brodie Greene [mp3]

Clayton Ehlert [mp3]

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Clayton Ehlert tossed a complete-game four-hitter to lead Texas A&M to a 7-1 win over No. 23 Rice Tuesday evening before 3,309 fans at Olsen Field.

Ehlert, a senior from Orange, registered the second complete game of his career--and first of the nine-inning variety--to snap the Aggies' six-game skid and give A&M (21-14-1) its first win over the Owls (25-14) in College Station since 1998.

"Clayton answered the bell for us when we needed it the most," head coach Rob Childress said. "It was an incredible performance, it's as good as he has pitched since he's been here at Texas A&M. I couldn't be more proud for him and what he did tonight."

Rice's only run of the game and true scoring threat on the night came in the fourth. After Jimmy Comerota lined a double inside the bag at third to start the inning and moved to third on a groundout, a walk and a passed ball gave the Owls an early 1-0 lead. Ehlert then walked the following hitter, Diego Seastrunk, but bounced back to fan Rick Hague and Michael Fuda to escape the jam.

The Aggies took the lead and blew open the game with a seven-run outburst in the fifth, chasing Owl starter Boogie Anagnostou and chewing through the Rice bullpen. A&M, aided by three Hague errors in the frame, got RBI singles by Joe Patterson and Brodie Greene and a fielder's choice RBI by Caleb Shofner and Hinojosa were plunked with the bases loaded to drive in runs.

"In the fourth, we took advantage of some of their mistakes," Childress said. "That inning was just what we needed. I felt like after the fourth we were much more aggressive at the plate as we started to relax a little bit."

Following the fourth-inning walk to Seastrunk, Ehlert allowed just two more baserunners as he retired 16 of the final 18 Owl hitters on the night to record the win. He gave up the four hits, while walking two and fanning eight, and the only run he allowed was unearned. It was the Aggies' first complete game of the season.

"I'm kind of speechless right now," Ehlert said. "I'm really proud of our guys for playing great defense behind me and I'm just glad to have a chance like this to help us."

Greene and Andrew Collazo had two hits on the night to lead A&M, while Hinojosa's two RBIs were a game high.

Texas A&M returns to action on Friday when the Aggies open a three-game series against 17th-ranked Oklahoma. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. and the game will be televised by COX Sports TV.