Baylor
Texas A&M
Bears Drop Heartbreaker to No. 19 Texas A&M
4/20/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
April 20, 2008
While Stouffer's single produced the deciding run, it was a play two pitches earlier that ultimately cost the Bears. After Colligan's two-out single, Baylor's Nick Cassavechia had an 0-1 count on Stouffer. Cassavechia picked to first and caught Colligan breaking for second. However, first baseman Dustin Dickerson's throw to shortstop Beamer Weems at second was off line, and Colligan was able to slide in safely.
Baylor threatened in the bottom of the 11th but had two runners thrown out between third and home. Beamer Weems walked to lead off the inning, and Jon Ringenberg followed with a sharply hit fly ball right at Aggie left fielder Brodie Green. Gregg Glime then ripped a double to right-center, but Weems was thrown out at home.
Texas A&M then walked switch-hitting Shaver Hansen to face right-hander Raynor Campbell. On the first pitch to
The game never would have gone to extra-innings, though, had it not been for the top of the ninth. Baylor led 12-6 with one out and a runner at first, but the next seven Texas A&M batters reached base safely as the Aggies rallied for six runs to tie the game. Dane Carter's two-run homer started the scoring, and Russell Raley's two-run single was the game-tying hit.
Texas A&M had chances to take the lead in the top of the 10th, but two Baylor defensive plays thwarted the Aggies' efforts. With one out and runners at first and second, Darby Brown singled to right. Carter rounded third and was thrown out at the plate by Aaron Miller. Ruggiano then laced a ball down the third-base line, but Shaver Hansen snagged it on a diving play to his back-hand side.
Cassavechia struck out Greene and Raley to start the 11th before Colligan singled through the left side on a 1-1 count.
It was a bitter loss for Baylor, which suffered its first three-game series sweep at the hands of Texas A&M since 1996. The Bears also failed to stave off a sweep at home for only the second time in the 12-year history of the Big 12 (1998
Travis Starling (6-0) picked up the win for Texas A&M; he allowed three runs on five hits and three walks with two strikeouts over 4.0 innings. Starter Clayton Ehlert lasted only 3.0 innings and allowed two runs on six hits and no walks with three strikeouts.
Cassavechia (0-3) was saddled with the loss, despite being the most effective of Baylor's four relievers on the day. He allowed one run on four hits and no walks with three strikeouts over 2.2 innings. Starter Willie Kempf saw his strong start spoiled. He allowed four runs, three earned, on six hits and one walk with four strikeouts over 6.2 innings. Kempf left the game with a 7-4 lead after surrendering a two-out, two-run homer to Colligan in the seventh.
The game was anything but typical. Texas A&M head coach Rob Childress was ejected in the top of the eighth while arguing a contact play at second base. Three pitches later, home plate umpire Doyle Sooter was hit by a pitch and was forced to exit the game; a two-man crew worked the remainder of the game.
Adam Hornung's three-run homer capped a four-run fifth as the Bears claimed a 6-2 lead.
Baylor finished the game with 22 hits, on shy of a school record for a Big 12 game. Hansen finished 4-for-6 with a home run. Campbell, Glime, Miller and Weems all produced three-hit games; Glime's was the first of his career. Booker and Dickerson had two hits each, and all nine starters hit safely. Hornung led the Bears with three RBI; Booker, Glime and Weems each added two RBI.
Jose Duran led Texas A&M with four hits on the day. The Aggies finished with 18 hits, nine of which came after the eighth inning. Carter, Colligan, Greene, Raley, Ruggiano and Stouffer each had two RBI.
Baylor returns to action Tuesday, hosting
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