Texas A&M
1-0
Holy Cross
0-1
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Runs R | Hits H | Errors E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Holy Cross | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 2 |
| Texas A&M | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | X | 19 | 15 | 2 |
A&M Coasts to 19-2 Win over Holy Cross
Feb 14, 2015 | Baseball
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas A&M Aggies ushered in the 2015 campaign in grand fashion, registering a 19-2 victory over the Holy Cross Crusaders on Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park on Friday evening.
The 19 runs marked the most for the Aggies on opening day since February 10, 1989 when A&M scored a 20-7 win against Pan American (now UT Pan American). The 17-run margin of victory matched the opening day record for the Aggies who outscored UT Pan American, 17-0, on February 11, 1994.
The A&M batters knocked the horsehide around Blue Bell Park like an untethered tetherball, racking up 15 hits, including seven of the extra-base variety. The Maroon and White launched three home runs, the most for the Aggies at Blue Bell Park since hitting four dingers against Texas Tech on May 5, 2012.
Ronnie Gideon, who logged seven RBI in all of 2014, set an Aggie opening day record with his eight RBI on the evening. Gideon batted 4-for-6 with one double and one home run.
The Aggies had four other players with multiple hits as Ryne Birk, Mitchell Nau, Blake Allemand and Logan Taylor notched two apiece. Birk batted 2-for-3 with one home run, one HBP, three runs and two RBI. Nau went 2-for-2 with one double, two runs and two RBI. Allemand hit 2-for-5 with one walk, two runs and one RBI. Taylor slugged 2-for-3 with one walk, one triple, one home run and two RBI.
The Maroon and White were equally impressive on the mound. In his first career start, A.J. Minter (1-0) picked up the win. He yielded just two unearned runs, scattering five hits and two walks while striking out seven over 5.0 innings. Kyle Simonds, a junior college transfer who was named the NJCAA Division I National Pitcher of the Year at Hutchinson Community College in 2014, earned the save, retiring 12 of the 13 batters he faced in 4.0 innings of work. The only baserunner Simonds allowed was hit by a pitch. The junior fanned 12 Crusaders.
Texas A&M struck early and often with three runs in the first inning, seven in the second and three in the third.
J.B. Moss drew a walk and stole second base to start the bottom of the first. Birk followed with an RBI single to centerfield to break the scoring seal. Nau laced a single through the right side of the infield and with two outs, Gideon hit a wall-banger to centerfield for a two-run double.
Taylor hit a lead-off tater over the leftfield wall in the second, opening the flood gates. The inning featured a two-run double by Nau, a three-run home run by Gideon and an RBI triple by Taylor to close out the frame.
Birk a solo home run in the third and runs scored on a Nick Banks triple and a single by Gideon.
The Crusasders took advantage of an Aggie error to score in the fifth. Leadoff batter Evan Ocello reached on a throwing error by Allemand at short. Nick Lovullo followed with a walk and Jack St. Clair singled up the middle to plate Ocello. Minter fanned Anthony Critelli for the first out of the inning, but Lovullo came around to score on a fielder's choice to trim the Aggie lead to 13-2.
A&M added four runs in the seventh and two in the eighth.
Holy Cross sent eight pitchers to the mound. Starter Phil Reese (0-1) was saddled with the loss, allowing three runs on three hits and one walk while striking out one in 1.0 innings. Justin Finan, Brendan King and Sean Gustin each worked one inning of scoreless relief in the fourth, fifth and sixth frames, respectively.
The Aggies and Crusaders return to action for game two of the series Saturday at 2:05 pm.
TEXAS A&M QUOTES
Head Coach Rob Childress
On the offense…
“I was really impressed. I know our pitchers are glad that they don't have to face our hitters anymore. I'm proud of the way we started. A.J. (Minter) set the tone. He went out and threw strikes gave us a chance to get into the fight, get into the dugout. Our offense didn't let us down. We scored often and early. We had 34 or 35 just amazing and quality at-bats. I want to say we scored 12 or 13 runs with two outs. We also got really big hits. Just a relentless lineup. They just kept coming all night long.”
Sophomore third baseman Ronnie Gideon
Overall thoughts on the game…
“It was great. It was a fun night. That's what happens when everybody hits through the lineup. It's contagious. One hit to the next. Honestly I think that's how I got mine because everybody else hit. “
On the depth of the lineup…
“We knew from the start we were going to have a great offensive team. We've shown it, but also on the defensive side our pitchers threw amazing. Up and down both ways. It was great.”
Junior pitcher A.J. Minter
On getting the offensive supports…
“It sets the tone for the rest of the season. Absolutely, I'm just proud of the guys for being relentless the whole game, all nine innings, whether we were down 10 runs or up ten runs. It's just a great way to open it up.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Minter, A.J. (1-0)
L: Reese,Phil (0-1)
S: Simonds, Kyle (1)
Batting:
3B: Vucovich,Dan 1
RBI: St.Clair,Jack 1 ; Schlich,Bill 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Ocello,Evan 1 ; Lovullo,Nick 1
HBP: St.Clair,Jack 1
Batting:
2B: Nau, Mitchell 1 ; Gideon, Ronnie 1
3B: Banks, Nick 1 ; Taylor, Logan 1
HR: Birk, Ryne 1 ; Gideon, Ronnie 1 ; Taylor, Logan 1
RBI: Birk, Ryne 2 ; Nau, Mitchell 2 ; Banks, Nick 1 ; Gideon, Ronnie 8 ; Allemand, Blake 1 ; Taylor, Logan 2
Base Running:
RUNS: Moss, J.B. 2 ; Birk, Ryne 3 ; McLendon, Patrick 1 ; Nau, Mitchell 2 ; Nottebrok, Logan 2 ; Banks, Nick 3 ; Moroney, Jonathan 2 ; Gideon, Ronnie 1 ; Allemand, Blake 2 ; Taylor, Logan 1
SB: Moss, J.B. 1
HBP: Moss, J.B. 1 ; Birk, Ryne 1 ; Nau, Mitchell 2 ; Nottebrok, Logan 1
PO: Barash, Michael 1
