Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
Texas A&M
Red Raiders Drop Conference Opener In 12 Innings
March 14, 2008 | Baseball
March 14, 2008
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Texas A&M's Dane Carter blasted a two-out game ending solo home run to right field in the bottom of the 12th inning that lifted the 22nd-ranked Aggies to a 6-5 win over Texas Tech in the Big 12 opener for both teams.
The loss drops Texas Tech to 8-7 overall and 0-1 in league play while Texas A&M improves to 14-3 and 1-0 in the Big 12.
Second baseman Joey Kenworthy got the Red Raiders on the board early as the sophomore smashed a 3-2 pitch for his first career home run over the left field wall. An inning later, Monk Kreder continued the trend of first career homers, blasting a 2-1 pitch over the right field wall.
The Aggies looked to jump ahead in the second inning, drawing two walks and a hit, before AJ Ramos would strike out Kevin Gonzalez and Kyle Colligan to end the inning.
After A&M scored a run in the third, Kyle Colligan would give the Aggies a 4-2 lead off a three-run home run to center field. The home was just his second of the year.
Walks would once again get the best of Ramos in the fifth as the junior walked the bases loaded, allowing one run on a passed ball, before reliever Brian Cloud came in for the final two outs.
After an Aggie error and a couple walks, Doug Thennis drew a bases-loaded walk to make the score 5-3 before Jason Seefeld delivered a two-RBI double to tie the score at five.
The Tech bullpen would continue its dominance as Cloud fired a career high seven strikeouts, before leaving the game after three innings.
Tech would load the bases in the top of the ninth, but came away with no runs as Taylor Ashby grounded to Blake Stouffer to get Doug Thennis for the force at second. Despite getting two runners on in bottom half of the ninth on a walk and hit batter, Sam Janca took a slow grounder to barely get the runner at first and got Tech out of the jam.
After a quick top of the tenth for the Red Raiders, things got out-of-sorts, so to speak, in the bottom half of the inning. After allowing two runners on to start the inning, Monk Kreder caught a Colligan foul bunt and immediately fired over the head of shortstop Chris Hall. Backing up the play, Tanner Rindels fired to Doug Thennis for the inning's second out. Russ Fornea would come in from there and get a strikeout to close the inning.
Russ Fornea was charged with the loss for Texas Tech after giving up the home run and fell to 1-2 on the season. Travis Starling earned the win in relief for Texas A&M as he held Tech to just three hits over three scoreless innings to improve to 2-0.
The Red Raiders and Aggies resume the three-game series tomorrow at 2 p.m. from Olsen Field.
