No. 23 Aggies Top Bears, 4-3, in Series Opener

Friday, April 9

College Station

6:35 PM

Texas A&M

20-8-1, 6-3-1

Baylor

17-11, 3-5

Baylor

Texas A&M

Apr 09, 2010 | Baseball

Box Score

By: Texas A&M Athletics

April 9, 2010

Final Stats

Rob Childress [mp3]

Brodie Greene [mp3]

John Stilson [mp3]

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Texas A&M took the lead with a three-run in sixth and John Stilson struck out the side looking in the ninth as the 23rd-ranked Aggies defeated Baylor, 4-3, in the series opener Friday night before 4,591 fans at Olsen Field.

A&M (20-8-1, 6-3-1 Big 12) faced a 2-1 deficit entering the last of the sixth, and quickly picked up a pair of outs before beginning its rally. After Brodie Greene then gave the Aggies the lead by blasting the first pitch from Shawn Tolleson high over the video board in left center field to make the score 4-2.

Stilson relieved starter Barret Loux in the seventh and tossed the final 2 2/3 innings. He allowed a Bear run in the eighth, but got a huge double play to get out of that jam and fanned the three batters in the ninth looking to end the game. The loss dropped the Bears to 17-11 and 3-5 in league action.

"That was a great Friday night game," A&M coach Rob Childress said. "Obviously the sixth inning was huge for us, and that was the difference in the game. We got just enough hits with runners in scoring position tonight and hopefully those will keep coming as we move through the series."

A&M took the early lead off Tolleson in the first with a two-out RBI single off the bat of Kenny Jackson.

The Bears countered with a pair of two-out runs of their own courtesy RBI doubles by Brooks PInckard and Logan Vick in the third and fifth innings, respectively, to take their first lead of the night.

After the Aggies took the 4-2 lead into the eighth, Pinckard began the Baylor rally there with a double down the line in right. He came home on a first-pitch single by Joey Hainsfurther that cut the lead in half. One out later, a walk set the Bears up with the tying run in scoring position and brought Jon Ringenberg to the plate. With a full count and the runners moving, the Baylor DH laced a grounder up the middle, where Greene picked the ball, stepped on second and made an on-the-run throw to first to double up the Bears and keep the game tied.

Loux (5-2) picked up the win. He lasted 6 1/3 innings and gave up four hits, two runs and three walks while punching out six. Stilson earned his fifth save of the year, going 2 2/3 and allowing two hits, one run and two walks to go along with four strikeouts.

"Barret didn't have his best stuff tonight, but I thought he pitched extremely well," Childress said. "Stilson was a little rusty early, we hadn't used him in a week, but he shook that off and was able to get through it."

Tolleson (1-4) suffered the loss, giving up four runs (one earned), six hits and five walks while fanning five. Craig Fritsch tossed two shutout innings of relief.

Texas A&M out-hit Baylor, 7-6, on the night, and left a season-high tying 14 runners on base. Joe Patterson led the way with a 2-for-4 night. All six hits for the Bears came from the top three spots in the lineup, as Vick, Pinckard and Hainsfurther had two apiece.

The series now shifts to Waco and will resume on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at Baylor Ballpark. Sophomore Ross Stripling (3-1, 4.32) is scheduled to go against Baylor sophomore Logan Verrett (3-2, 3.89) in a rematch from earlier this season.