Texas A&M
25-16-1, 9-10-1
Nebraska
19-24, 6-14
Aggies Launch Three Homers in 10-5 Win at Nebraska
May 01, 2010 | Baseball
May 1, 2010
LINCOLN, Neb. - Texas A&M blasted three home runs and pounded out 15 hits to power its way to a 10-5 win over Nebraska Saturday afternoon before 4,084 fans at Hawks Field at Haymarket Park.
The Aggies (25-16-1, 9-10-1 Big 12) sent 11 men to the plate in a five-run third, fueled by back-to-back home runs by Joe Patterson and Kevin Gonzalez that gave A&M the lead for good. The Huskers (16-24, 6-14) cut an eventual six-run deficit in half in the eighth, but the Aggies added two crucial insurance runs in the ninth to seal the victory.
"It was a hard-fought win," A&M coach Rob Childress said. "Nebraska gave us everything they had and then some. We had a lot of big hits today. We didn't drive a lot of runners home from scoring position, but we did hit the ball out of the yard. Ross Stripling gave us a great performance and Michael Wacha did as well. We created an inning for them in the eighth, but we came back in the ninth and got two huge runs."
Nebraska's DJ Belfonte led off the game with a solo home run just inside the foul pole in left to stake the Huskers to an early 1-0 lead, but Aggie starter Ross Stripling settled down and allowed just one more run over the next five innings.
Patterson's two-run shot in the third landed on the berm in center, following a leadoff single by Adam Smith to put A&M up 2-1. Gonzalez then tagged Husker starter Tyler Niederklein for a homer two pitches later. The Aggies added runs in the inning on back-to-back bases-loaded walks to extend the lead to four.
NU cut the lead to three in the fifth, cashing in a one-out double on a Texas A&M miscue. Matt Juengel got the run back quickly, however, leading off the next frame off reliever Casey Hauptman with his second home run of the weekend.
In the seventh, a double-play ball scored John Stilson, who doubled off the top of the wall in left, and Matt Juengel plated another with an RBI single to left to make the score 8-2.
The Huskers briefly got back in the game in the eighth, scoring three on a balk, wild pitch and two-out single by Cory Burleson.
Two big insurance runs in the ninth gave A&M some extra cushion, as Tyler Naquin drove in a run with a double off the base of the wall in left and Juengel scored him on a squeeze bunt.
Nebraska would load the bases with one out in its final at-bat with two hits and an error, but Stilson--who entered in relief in the eighth--induced an infield pop and a ground ball to Brodie Greene at short, who made a slick play and throw to second to end the game.
Stripling (4-3) earned the win, allowing four hits and two runs over 5 1/3 innings of work. He walked four and struck out four. Michael Wacha and Stilson combined to allow four hits and three runs out of the pen.
Stilson set a career high with a three-hit afternoon, while Gonzalez matched his career best with two doubles--both off the fence--and a home run. Juengel had two hits and set a new career high with three RBIs, while Naquin, Joe Patterson totaled two hits apiece.
Niederklein (3-1) was saddled with the loss. He lasted three-plus innings, giving up four runs, seven hits and a pair of walks while striking out three. Four Husker relievers allowed eight hits and six runs over the final six frames of work.
The series concludes on Sunday morning with first pitch set for 11:05 a.m. Senior Clayton Ehlert (2-4, 5.74) will start for Texas A&M and will face Nebraska freshman Tom Lemke (4-5, 5.48). Fans can listen locally on WTAW-AM 1620 or worldwide on radioaggieland.com. Free live video (courtesy Nebraska athletics) will be available on aggieathletics.com.
"We haven't done anything yet," Childress said. "Our backs are against the wall. We haven't gotten anything handed to us all year long and I don't expect it down the stretch. We have 14 games left or more left and the most important game is tomorrow."
POSTGAME NOTES: The win clinched Texas A&M its third Big 12 series win of the season (Texas Tech, Missouri) ... it was the Aggies' ninth series win over Nebraska in Big 12 play and third in seven tries in Lincoln ... Joe Patterson and Jose Duran and Darby Brown) ... Patterson's blast was his fourth of the year and his first since March 23 ... Saturday was A&M's ninth multi-HR game of the year and the first since April 6 vs UTSA ... it was the Aggies' second three-HR effort of the season (March 9 vs Penn State) ... John Stilson posted his first career three-hit game ... Kevin Gonzalez matched a career high with three hits ... Texas A&M's 15 hits tied a season high in a Big 12 game (at Kansas, April 1) and was one shy of the season high (16 vs Penn State, March 9) ... it marked the most ever by the Aggies at Haymarket Park in 14 games.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Stripling, Ross (4-3)
L: Niederklein, Tyler (3-1)
Batting:
2B: Naquin, Tyler 1 ; Gonzalez, Kevin 2 ; Stilson, John 2
HR: Juengel, Matt 1 ; Patterson, Joe 1 ; Gonzalez, Kevin 1
RBI: Naquin, Tyler 1 ; Juengel, Matt 3 ; Greene, Brodie 1 ; Smith, Adam 1 ; Patterson, Joe 2 ; Gonzalez, Kevin 1
SH: Juengel, Matt 1 ; Stilson, John 1 ; Arthur, Scott 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Naquin, Tyler 2 ; Juengel, Matt 1 ; Smith, Adam 1 ; Patterson, Joe 1 ; Gonzalez, Kevin 1 ; Stilson, John 1 ; Collazo, Andrew 2 ; Arthur, Scott 1
SB: Collazo, Andrew 1
HBP: Arthur, Scott 1
Batting:
2B: Farst, Tyler 1 ; Burleson, Cory 1
HR: Belfonte, DJ 1
RBI: Belfonte, DJ 1 ; Burleson, Cory 1
SH: Belfonte, DJ 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Belfonte, DJ 1 ; Farst, Tyler 1 ; Asche, Cody 1 ; Christensen, Chad 1 ; Burleson, Cory 1
