Aggie Bats Awake to Down No. 2 Oklahoma, 11-1

Saturday, March 19

Norman, Okla.

2:00 PM

Texas A&M

14-5, 1-1

Oklahoma

17-4, 1-1

Texas A&M

Oklahoma

Mar 19, 2011 | Baseball

Box Score

By: Texas A&M Athletics

March 19, 2011

Final Stats

NORMAN, Okla. - After being held scoreless in the series opener, the Aggie bats broke out in a big way Saturday at L. Dale Mitchell Park as the No.11 Texas A&M baseball team defeated No. 2 Oklahoma 11-1 in front of 1,985 fans.

The offensive explosion complimented a sparkling performance on the mound by Aggie starter Michael Wacha (3-1) who threw his first career complete game. The sophomore from Texarkana scattered seven hits while yielding just one run, no walks and racking up eight strikeouts. Saturday's impressive outing lowered Wacha's season ERA to 0.75.

The Aggies (14-5; 1-1 Big 12) wasted no time getting on the board in Saturday's affair, posting a run during their first time at bat. Freshman Jace Statum led off the game with a single to left field and was able to score later in the first when the Sooners committed an error trying to complete a double play.

During the top of the second, senior catcher Kevin Gonzalez led off the frame by drawing a walk and was followed by senior shortstop Kenny Jackson who reached on a single. Freshman Charlie Curl plated the first run of the inning on a RBI single and Statum added a run-scoring sacrifice bunt to make it 3-0 Aggies.

Texas A&M's hot start continued in the top of the third when it tacked on three runs to extend the lead to 6-0. The Aggies greeted the OU pitcher Bobby Shore, who began the inning in relief of starter Dillon Overton (3-1), with three consecutive singles including a run-scoring knock by first baseman Jacob House. Shore was replaced on the mound by Tyson Seng who allowed an RBI single to Gonzalez and a sac fly to Jackson.

A seventh Aggie run came in the top of the fifth on a sac fly off the bat of Brandon Wood as the fly out plated House, who collected one of three Aggie hits in the inning.

Through the first five innings of the contest, the Aggies had 13 hits on the scoreboard, all singles. That changed in the sixth as Krey Bratsen, Tyler Naquin and Matt Juengel each doubled in three consecutive at bats with two outs to increase the A&M lead to 9-0.

The top of the seventh saw the Aggies tack two final runs onto their advantage, including one on an RBI single by Statum.

On the day, seven Aggies posted multi-hit games and all but one member of the starting line-up enjoyed a hit in the contest.

Texas A&M will go for the series win on Sunday at 1 p.m. during the rubber match of the three-game set. Junior right-handed pitcher Ross Stripling (3-1; 0.41 ERA) will get the start for the Aggies and be opposed by OU junior righty Burch Smith (2-1; 3.52 ERA).