Stephen F. Austin
Texas A&M
Early Runs Enough As Aggies Defeat SFA
3/4/2009 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
March 4, 2009
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Lumberjack pitchers struck out 10 Aggies on the day, but No. 4 Texas A&M still managed 10 hits to pick up an 8-3 win over SFA on Wednesday at Olsen Field to sweep the two-game set.
SFA (3-6) had very few answers for Texas A&M's (9-2) freshman left-handed starter Ross Hales, as he struck out nine hitters and allowed only one in his six innings on the mound for his third win of the year.
Jared West made his first start of the year for SFA, and got stronger as the game went on, but still took the loss. He finished with six strikeouts and only one walk in 5.1 innings, but eventually surrendered seven runs - six earned - after a four-run eighth inning for the Aggies broke things open.
SFA is now 0-17 against the Aggies since 1983.
Bo Coffman was the only Lumberjack to record multiple hits, going 2-for-3 on the day with his second home run of the year coming in the ninth inning. Sean Meyers finished the day 0-for-3 with an RBI, but saw his 11-game hit streak come to an end.
Texas A&M put up four runs in the first three innings off of West, including a home run from Brent Parsons in the second and a 2-RBI double from Brooks Raley in the third before SFA got a run back in fourth. It started withTanner Hines' second triple in two games to lead off the inning and he was able to come home when Meyers brought him in with a sacrifice fly to right field, cutting the lead to 4-1.
Hales then proceeded to give up a single to Brian Ferguson, followed by a walk to Bo Coffman to pose another SFA threat with two outs, but he was able to fan Ryan Sinclair for his eighth strikeout of the day to leave the runners stranded.
West then settled down for SFA, retiring the next nine Aggies in order until the fifth inning when Texas A&M rattled off another four runs. Caleb Shofner delivered a pinch-hit, 2-RBI triple into the left field corner for the first two runs as the final batter that West would face on the afternoon. Jared Schrom then came in from the bullpen, coaxing an RBI groundout from Brent Parsons before Adam Smith touched him up for his third home run of the season, increasing the lead to 8-1. Schrom finished with three strikeouts and no walks in 1.2 innings of relief.
The Aggies lifted Hales after the sixth in favor of Denny Clement, and SFA almost immediately got on the scoreboard off of him. After retiring the first two hitters of the frame Sinclair hit his first home run of the year, a solo shot to deep left-center field that actually struck a spectator sitting on a set of bleachers beyond the fence.
Alex Moshier delivered a perfect eighth inning of relief and Coffman added his solo shot in the ninth before Ross Stripling came in to tally three consecutive strikeouts to shut the door.
The `Jacks are back in action on Friday when they open up Southland Conference play at home against Central Arkansas. Friday's contest is scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. start. The series with the Bears will also feature the first radio broadcast of the season on Sunday on KSFA 860AM.
-SFA-
