No. 22 Aggies, Kansas Play to 8-8 Tie

Saturday, April 3

Lawrence, Kan.

11:00 AM

Texas A&M

18-8-1, 5-3-1

Kansas

18-10-1, 3-2-1

Texas A&M

Kansas

Apr 03, 2010 | Baseball

Box Score

By: Texas A&M Athletics

April 3, 2010

Final Stats

LAWRENCE, Kan. - No. 22 Texas A&M played to an 8-8 tie with Kansas in 11 innings Saturday afternoon before 1,085 fans at Hoglund Ballpark.

The Aggies (18-8-1, 5-3-1 Big 12) pushed a run across in the 11th on a balk by KU pitcher Colton Murray, but Brian Heere delivered a one-out RBI single in the last of the inning to even the score. A&M's travel plans forced the game to be stopped upon completion of the inning. The Jayhawks saw their record move to 18-10-1 and 3-2-1. It was the first tie for the Aggies since 2006 and just the second in a Big 12 game in school history.

Entering what would be the final inning of the game, Brodie Greene lined a one-out single to left and promptly stole second. After an error put runners at the corners with one out, pinch runner John Stilson swiped second to give the Aggies a great scoring chance. One out later, Murray was called for a balk prior to the first offering to Kenny Jackson, and Greene trotted home with the go-ahead run. Jackson then lined the next pitch off the glove of Murray, where it rolled toward second baseman Robby Price. Jackson was called out on a bang-bang play at first to keep A&M from tacking on another run.

The Jayhawks began their half of the 11th on a pinch-hit single by Zac Elgie. One out and a hit by pitch later, Heere singled to right center field to plate pinch runner Jason Brunansky with the tying run. Following a strikeout of Tony Thompson by reliever Jake Feckley, the Aggies walked Jimmy Waters intentionally to get to Brett Lisher. Feckley then got Lisher to lift a routine fly ball to center to end the game.

Kansas took an early lead in the first off starter Ross Hales. Brian Heere followed a Robbie Price double with a home run to right, his second of the year, to stake KU to a 2-0 lead.

Joe Patterson's bases-loaded sacrifice fly to center in the third plated Brandon Wood to put the Aggies on the board and cut the Jayhawk lead in half.

Wood led off the top of the fifth with a line-drive double to the wall in left center and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Joe Patterson's drew a walk, Caleb Shofner singled on the infield and Jackson followed with an RBI single to center to give the Aggies a 3-2 lead.

Three straight one-out singles by Kansas in their half of the inning would tie the game, the last coming off the bat of Price. Following a strikeout and another pitching change, Thompson drew a four-pitch walk and Waters followed with a two-strike, bases-clearing double to left to put the Jayhawks up, 6-3.

The score remained that way until the eighth, as Jayhawk reliever Tanner Poppe retired the first seven batters he faced out of the pen. Shofner got a big rally started with a one-out single in the frame, and after Jackson drew a walk and Kevin Gonzalez was hit by a pitch, Adam Smith dropped a two-strike single into left field to score a pair. Scott Arthur followed with a two-strike single through the middle that tied the game, and Wood added a sacrifice fly to put the Aggies ahead, 7-6.

In the last of the ninth, Michael Wacha issued one-out and two-out walks, respectively, bringing Price to the plate. Down to his final strike, the KU second baseman singled up the middle to tie the game. Heere followed by lifting a fly ball to deep right field, but Tyler Naquin made the catch on the track to send the game into extra innings.

The Aggies out-hit Kansas, 13-12, on the day. Greene led the way with a 3-for-5 effort, while Wood, Shofner and Smith had two hits apiece. For Kansas, Price, Heere and Thompson each had three hits and combined for all eight Jayhawk RBIs on the afternoon.

Texas A&M returns to action on Tuesday when the Aggies host UTSA at Olsen Field. First pitch is set for 6:35 p.m.

NOTES: Texas A&M is now 0-1-1 in extra inning games ... the Aggies played their first tie game since May 14, 2006, a 1-1 draw with Kansas State at Olsen Field ... that game was the only other Big 12 contest in school history to end in a tie ... Saturday marked the sixth extra-inning game between the Aggies and Jayhawks since 2003 ... game-time temperature was 54 degrees with clear skies and winds blowing in from right center at eight miles per hour.