Aggies Use 14-Run Outburst to Complete Sweep of Le Moyne

Sunday, February 20

College Station

12:05 PM

Texas A&M

3-0

Le Moyne

0-3

Le Moyne

Texas A&M

Feb 20, 2011 | Baseball

Box Score

By: Texas A&M Athletics

Feb. 20, 2011

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Junior designated hitter Matt Juengel went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with four RBI and his second home run of the season as No. 8 Texas A&M defeated Le Moyne 14-0 Sunday to complete the sweep of the three-game, season-opening series at Olsen Field.

The perfect 3-0 start to the season marks the third straight year the Aggies have swept a series from their season-opening opponent under head coach Rob Childress.

Juengel was not the only Aggie who was swinging a hot bat in the series finale as sophomore outfielder Tyler Naquin went 3-for-4 at the plate with four runs scored, a pair of triples and a double.

The Aggies wasted no time jumping on Le Moyne starting pitcher Derek Zielinski as they put up a five spot in the bottom of the first inning. After freshman center fielder Krey Bratsen reached on an error to begin the frame, Naquin found the gap in left center for his first three-bagger of the day. Following a walk to Juengel, junior first baseman Jacob House plated a run with an RBI single through the left side.

After Juengel came home on a wild pitch, senior catcher Kevin Gonzalez connected on a Zielinski offering and drove it over the left field wall for a two-run blast that brought the score to 5-0.

Freshman Charlie Curl, making his first career start, added a tally to A&M's side of the scoreboard in the bottom of the third with an RBI single.

During the home half of the fourth, the Aggies added three runs to their lead with an sac fly off the bat of Juengel and a two-run double from freshman outfielder Jace Statum.

The Aggies' lead swelled to 12-0 in the bottom of the fifth as Juengel drove in a run with a single and later scored in the inning on an error. House also came home with an A&M run in the frame after a Le Moyne wild pitch.

For good measure, Juengel added a two-run homer, his second of the series, in the bottom of the sixth to give the game its final score.

Texas A&M got another impressive outing on the mound from its starter as sophomore Ross Hales returned to form after missing most of last season with an injury. The lefty from Baytown, Texas, tossed six shutout innings, allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out five.

Hales' performance gave the Aggies a third consecutive quality start to begin the season as John Stilson and Michael Wacha, A&M's Friday and Saturday starters in the series, also each contributed six innings without yielding an earned run. In the three-game series the Aggie pitching staff finished with a 0.67 team ERA and 28 strikeouts.

Texas A&M baseball is back in action at Olsen Field on Tuesday when it will play host to Prairie View A&M in a 6:35 p.m. contest.