Texas A&M
12-2
UCLA
11-3
Aggies Drop Series Opener at UCLA
Mar 05, 2004 | Baseball
March 05, 2004
No. 12 Texas A&M scored four runs in the top of the ninth, but it was not enough as UCLA defeated the Aggies, 8-6, in front of 373 fans at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
Trailing 8-2 and heading into the ninth, the Aggies used three hits, a walk and a fielding error to push four runs across. Adam Simon struck out Coby Mavroulis - who represented the tying run, to end the inning and the threat.
With the loss, the Aggies dropped to 12-2 on the season while UCLA improved to 11-3.
UCLA starter Casey Janssen improved to 4-0 and was in command of the game until being pulled with one out in the eighth. Janssen allowed two runs on six hits and struck out four.
UCLA took the lead in the bottom of the fourth off A&M starter Robert Ray. Wes Whisler and Matt Thayer each single to start the inning. Chris Denove drove a double down the line in left to plate the two runners. The next batter, Ryan McCarthy, singled up the middle to score Denove. McCarthy advanced to second on a wild pitch, Mike Svetvic walked and Chad Congolino singled to left to fill the bases. Brett McMillan drove in a run with a sacrifice fly and Billy Susdorf singled to chase across the fifth run of the inning.
After a couple of singles in the bottom of the fifth, Kyle Nicholson replaced Ray. Ray (1-1) lasted 4.2 innings and allowed five runs on nine hits, while striking out five.
The Aggies cut into the UCLA lead in the top of the sixth by scoring a pair of runs off Janssen. Erik Schindewolf started the inning with a walk and moved to third on a single by Cliff Pennington. Cory Patton's double to right center scored Schindewolf and Mavroulis grounded out to push Pennington across and make the score 5-2.
UCLA answered in the bottom of the sixth when Whisler delivered a two-out RBI single to center to run the lead to 6-2.
Whisler hit his second homer of the season and Thayer scored on a throwing error by Pennington to increase the lead to six runs after eight-complete innings.
Patton led the way offensively for the Aggies, going 3-for-4 with a double and two RBI.
Game two of the series will be played on Saturday, March 6, with first pitch set for 3 p.m. (cst).
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Janssen (4-0)
L: Ray, Robert (1-1)
S: Simon (2)
Batting:
2B: Patton, Cory 1
RBI: Schindewolf, Erik 1 ; Patton, Cory 2 ; Mavroulis, Coby 1 ; Stinson, Craig 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Schindewolf, Erik 2 ; Pennington, Cliff 2 ; Stroud, Todd 1 ; Boggs, Austin 1
Batting:
2B: Denove 1 ; Svetlic 1
HR: Whisler 1
RBI: McMillan 1 ; Susdorf 1 ; Whisler 2 ; Denove 2 ; McCarthy 1
SF: McMillan 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Susdorf 1 ; Whisler 2 ; Thayer 2 ; Denove 1 ; McCarthy 1 ; Svetlic 1
SB: Concolino 1
HBP: Concolino 1
