March 15, 2008

Box Score |  Notes

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - No. 22 Texas A&M exploded with five runs in the fourth inning and six in the fifth to route Texas Tech, 12-1, Saturday afternoon in front of 4,269 at Olsen Field.

The loss drops Tech to .500 overall at 8-8 and 0-2 in Big 12 play, while Texas A&M improves to 15-3 and 2-0 in league play.

The Red Raiders got the offense going early as shortstop Chris Hall led off the game with a single down the left field line. After a Joey Kenworthy fly out, Jason Seefeld was hit-by-a-pitch and Roger Kieschnick was walked to load the bases. Faced with a 3-2 count, Doug Thennis hit an RBI single to left field to plate Hall for an early 1-0 lead. Tech would leave the bases loaded two batters later, however, as Tanner Rindels would strikeout to end the inning.

The Aggies would get runners on second and third in the bottom half of the first, but Tech starter Nathan Karns would strikeout Blake Stouffer and get Jose Duran to pop-up a squeeze bunt attempt to Karns, who would immediately go to third for the force out to end the inning.

Timely hitting would plague the Red Raiders again in the second as Tech would load the bases with two outs, but right-fielder Roger Kieschnick grounded to second base to end the inning.

After opening the bottom of the third with a walk and hit-batter, Texas A&M would tie up the game on a Blake Stouffer sacrifice fly to plate catcher Kevin Gonzalez. Karns would get out of the inning allowing only a run, as Duran would fly out to center field for the third out.

Following two walks to open the fourth inning for the Aggies, Darby Brown hit an RBI double down the right field line to give Texas A&M a 2-1 lead. From there, Gonzalez would walk to load the bases and Kyle Colligan would be hit by-a-pitch for another Aggie run. After Owen Brolsma replaced Karns, Dane Carter would ground to Kenworthy at second, scoring Brown. A pitch later, Stouffer would single up the middle to unload the remaining two Aggies for a 6-1 lead.

Walks and hit-batsman would get the best of Tech again in the fifth as Brolsma opened the inning with two-straight free passes. Following a Brodie Green RBI single, Gonzalez hit a rope through the legs of third baseman Doug Thennis to plate two additional Aggies. Texas A&M would add three more runs in the inning to go up 12-1.

The Tech offense would continue to struggle through the latter innings, getting two runners on in both the sixth and eighth innings, but still unable to get the timely hit to score.

The Red Raiders and Aggies close the weekend series tomorrow afternoon, beginning at 1 p.m. from Olsen Field.