Spring Break
Aggies lose thriller at Olsen
A&M drops first game of Lone Star Showdown
By: Brad Cox
Issue date: 5/8/09 Section: Sports
No. 16 Texas A&M's game against No. 8 Texas Friday at Olsen Field was like two boxers trading punches in the ring.
In extra innings, the Longhorns landed a right hook for the knockout to win the first game of the series 11-9.
"It was a good game," senior center fielder Kyle Colligan said. "Texas played well but I think we played a better game."
The Aggies fell to 32-17 overall and 13-9 in Big 12 play. A&M needed to win to take control of where they finish in the standings as it now trails Texas by two games. The two remaining games against the Aggies are the Longhorns' final conference games of the season.
With Kansas State losing at Texas Tech 6-0, Texas now controls where it finishes in the standings because a sweep of A&M would earn the Longhorns the regular season title.
Texas took a 3-0 lead in the first four innings as sophomore pitcher Chance Ruffin controlled the strike zone. Ruffin had a no-hitter going through four innings before Aggie freshman right fielder David Alleman came through with a single to left field in the fifth.
Aggie junior left fielder Joe Patterson tied the game in the sixth inning with a one-out three-run home run over the right field wall, which awoke the 8,343 fans in attendance, the third largest crowd in Olsen Field history.
"I was very impressed with what we did tonight," A&M Head Coach Rob Childress said. "We competed from start to finish."
Sophomore southpaw Brooks Raley started on the mound for the Aggies. After giving up the three runs, he settled down for two innings, retiring seven consecutive batters. But in the seventh inning Raley struggled with command as the Longhorns answered Patterson's home run with a five-run inning.
Raley was pulled with one out in favor of junior right-hander Alex Wilson. Wilson recorded two quick outs to end the inning.
"We left [Raley] in probably two hitters too long," Childress said. "That's my fault."
A&M answered with four runs on two two-run home runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. After freshman shortstop Adam Smith reached first base on a one-out walk, junior second baseman Brodie Greene hit a long fly ball over the left field foul pole. Ruffin was then pulled for Texas senior closer Austin Wood.
In extra innings, the Longhorns landed a right hook for the knockout to win the first game of the series 11-9.
"It was a good game," senior center fielder Kyle Colligan said. "Texas played well but I think we played a better game."
The Aggies fell to 32-17 overall and 13-9 in Big 12 play. A&M needed to win to take control of where they finish in the standings as it now trails Texas by two games. The two remaining games against the Aggies are the Longhorns' final conference games of the season.
With Kansas State losing at Texas Tech 6-0, Texas now controls where it finishes in the standings because a sweep of A&M would earn the Longhorns the regular season title.
Texas took a 3-0 lead in the first four innings as sophomore pitcher Chance Ruffin controlled the strike zone. Ruffin had a no-hitter going through four innings before Aggie freshman right fielder David Alleman came through with a single to left field in the fifth.
Aggie junior left fielder Joe Patterson tied the game in the sixth inning with a one-out three-run home run over the right field wall, which awoke the 8,343 fans in attendance, the third largest crowd in Olsen Field history.
"I was very impressed with what we did tonight," A&M Head Coach Rob Childress said. "We competed from start to finish."
Sophomore southpaw Brooks Raley started on the mound for the Aggies. After giving up the three runs, he settled down for two innings, retiring seven consecutive batters. But in the seventh inning Raley struggled with command as the Longhorns answered Patterson's home run with a five-run inning.
Raley was pulled with one out in favor of junior right-hander Alex Wilson. Wilson recorded two quick outs to end the inning.
"We left [Raley] in probably two hitters too long," Childress said. "That's my fault."
A&M answered with four runs on two two-run home runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. After freshman shortstop Adam Smith reached first base on a one-out walk, junior second baseman Brodie Greene hit a long fly ball over the left field foul pole. Ruffin was then pulled for Texas senior closer Austin Wood.
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