May 17, 1997

Texas Tech Eliminates Texas A&M at Big 12 Tournament

OKLAHOMA CITY - Texas Tech used a 17-hit attack including three home runs to eliminate Texas A&M from the Big 12 Baseball Tournament by a final of 9-6.

The Aggies scored first in the top of the first to go on top 1-0, but Tech's Keith Ginter set the pace for the Red Raiders depositing Chris Fulbright's second pitch over the left field wall to tie the game. After another single, Josh Bard used one of his three hits to give Tech the lead, 2-1. Ginter's home run was his 100th hit of the season becoming just the third Red Raider to reach the plateau.

Tech built a 9-2 lead after seven innings, by the Aggies tried to stage a comeback in the eighth. Rich Petru lead off the frame with a home run. After the next two batters recorded outs, the Aggies stringed together four hits to score three additional runs for the final 9-6 difference.

A&M's Jason Stephens hit an inside-the-park home run to lead off the fourth inning, but it was disallowed and changed to a triple and put out upon Texas Tech's appeal that Stephens failed to touch home plate.

Joe Dillon hit two home runs for the Red Raiders, his 30th and 31st on the year, to set a new school record. Dillon is three home runs shy of Clint Bryant's career home run mark of 44.

Catcher Josh Bard backed up his Freshman-of-the-Year honors with a 3-for-5 day at the plate with two runs scored and an RBI. For the tourney Bard is 7-for-13 with six runs scored and a tourney-leading three doubles.

The winning pitcher for Texas Tech was Monty Ward (9-3). Ward pitched seven and two-thirds innings allowing six runs on 11 hits and a walk while striking out eight. Brad Ralston recorded the last four outs for his sixth save.

Fulbright (3-2) took the loss for the Aggies giving up six runs on 11 hits and two walks in five and two-thirds innings of work.

Texas A&M is eliminated from the double-elimination tourney having lost to Oklahoma State Friday night. Texas Tech advances to Saturday evening's semifinal with Oklahoma State. In the other semifinal, Missouri and Oklahoma play at 3 pm Saturday.

Texas Tech 9, Texas A&M 6

Texas A&M 6													Texas Tech 9
Name	AB	R	H	RBI		BB	SO	PO	A				Name	AB	R	H	RBI		BB	SO	PO	A
Tyner cf	5	0	0	0		0	0	1	0				Ginter 2b	4	1	2	2		1	1	1	2
Petru ss	5	2	2	1		0	2	3	3				Langen cf	2	1	1	0		0	1	0	0
Hunter rf	5	0	2	0		0	0	2	1				Price cf	3	0	0	0		0	2	0	0
Stephens 1b	4	0	1	0		0	2	7	1				Dillon 1b	4	2	2	2		0	0	8	0
Heaney 3b	4	1	2	1		0	2	1	1				Bard c	5	2	3	1		0	0	12	1
Truitt lf	3	1	1	2		1	2	0	0				Toro rf	4	1	1	0		0	1	3	0
Sandusky c	4	1	1	0		0	0	6	3				Landreth dh	4	1	3	2		0	0	0	0
Scheschuk dh	3	1	1	0		0	0	0	0				Buckley 3b	4	1	2	1		0	0	1	2
Leonard dh	1	0	1	1		0	0	0	0				Smith lf	3	0	2	0		0	1	2	0
Benefield 2b	4	0	1	1		0	2	3	0				Peck lf	1	0	1	1		0	0	0	0
Fulbright p	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	1				Huth ss	3	0	0	0		1	1	0	2
Barrett p	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0				Ward p	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	2
Keens p	0	0	0	0		0	0	1	1				Stewart p	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
													Ralston p	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0
Totals	38	6	12	6		1	10	24	11				Totals	37	9	17	9		2	7	27	9

Score by innings:					R	H	E
Texas A&M	100	010	040	-	6	12	1
Texas Tech	301	011	30	-	9	17	1

E-Heaney, Ginter.
DP-A&M 1.
LOB-A&M 6, TTU 7.
2B-Hunter, Sandusky, Scheschuk, Bard 2, Landreth, Buckley.
3B-Stephens.
HR-Petru, Truitt, Ginter, Dillon 2.
SB-Benefield, Ginter, Toro, Huth.
CS-Benefield, Landreth, Smith.

Texas A&M	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO				Texas Tech	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
Fulbright	5.2	11	6	6	2	5				Ward	7.2	11	6	6	1	8
Barrett	0.2	5	3	3	0	1				Stewart	0.0	1	0	0	0	0
Keens	1.2	1	0	0	0	1				Ralston	1.1	0	0	0	0	2

Winner-Ward, 9-3. Loser-Fulbright, 3-2. Save-Ralston, 6.
WP-Ward.
HBP-by Keens (Dillon).
Ump-Eaves, Jenkins, Hall, Mascorro.
Start-11:05. Time-2:36. Att-1900.