Spring Break
First loss of season to Centenary Gents, 8-4
By: Patrick Hayslip
Issue date: 2/26/09 Section: Sports
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Centenary held the Aggies to four hits, including solo home runs by sophomore designated hitter Nick Fleece and senior first baseman Luke Anders and a two-run home run by junior left fielder Dylan Petrich.
"We hit 17 or 18 balls hard on the screws today and they made all the plays," said A&M Head Coach Rob Childress. "We made some mistakes, and give them credit, they took it from us today."
Junior pitcher Scott Migl started the game for the Aggies, pitching 4.2 innings and giving up seven hits and two earned runs.
"I didn't think his command was very good but he fought and scratched and found a way to get us into the fifth inning and I thought he did a nice job," Childress said. "Out of all the guys, I thought he and Denny Clement did the best without question and guys that we counted on in the past were just OK. They'll be good this weekend."
Centenary did most of its damage in the fourth inning with singles by junior center fielder Travis Leverson and junior designated hitter Michael Tompkins. Senior right fielder Steele Lewis singled on a full count to drive in two runs and Tompkins scored later in the inning as an unearned run.
After A&M rallied to tie the game in the seventh inning with Petrich's home run, the Gents put three more runs on the board in the eighth inning to put the game away.
With the heart of the order doing most of the damage, Leverson started the rally with a double to right field off Aggie junior reliever Shane Minks and Tompkins followed it up with an RBI single. Lewis then doubled to right center field for another RBI.
After Minks hit Centenary freshman catcher Jeff Schaffert to load the bases, junior first baseman Tell Ross hit into a fielder's choice and Lewis scored when the Aggies were unable to turn the double play.
"Honestly, I would rather them do it early in the season rather than late in the season," Anders said about the Aggie bullpen. "I know they are going to bounce back. They are good guys who are always going to come back fighting and I'm not worried about it."
Centenary added another run in the top of the ninth inning with an RBI double by Leverson.
The Aggies will travel to the Houston College Classic on Friday to face No. 5 UC-Irvine. A&M will play No. 9 Rice on Saturday and Houston on Sunday.
"It's going to be a great bench mark for every team there as far as a check-up as to where they are at this point in the season," Childress said. "If teams go down there and do well, it's going to be a great confidence builder, and if they don't they know what they have to do throughout the rest of the season to get back to that point and play at that high level."
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