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Feb. 24, 2009

Final Stats

Final Stats (PDF)

Post Game Audio [mp3]:
Head Coach Childress
OF Petrich
C Gonzalez
P Hales

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Luke Anders and Kevin Gonzalez drove in four runs apiece and true freshman Ross Hales picked up the win in his first career start as the No. 1-ranked Aggies defeated Centenary College, 11-1, Tuesday night before 3,403 fans at Olsen Field.

With the win, A&M improved to 5-0, while the Gents dropped their season opener and fell to 0-1.

After Centenary took the early lead with a solo home run in its first at-bat by shortstop Ricky Imperiali, Texas A&M countered with a six-run first to take the lead for good.

Kyle Colligan drew a walk to start the frame and Brodie Greene followed by being hit by a pitch before Dylan Petrich loaded the bases when he reached on a fielding error by Imperali. Luke Anders then drove the first offering from Gent starter Dakota Robinson off the base of the wall in center to score a pair.

Nick Fleece followed with a sacrifice fly to right, making the score 3-1. Two batters later, Caleb Shofner was hit by a full-count offering and Kevin Gonzalez drove a 1-1 pitch off the batter's eye in center field. His first home run of the year, a three-run shot, gave A&M a 6-1 lead.

The Aggies added two more in the third to extend their lead to 8-1. After back-to-back one out singles and a botched pickoff after a sacrifice attempt put two in scoring position, Gonzalez singled on the infield. Nick Anders scored from third, and Shofner followed after an attempt to retire him at third went wide of the bag and towards the fence.

In the fourth inning, a two-run single by Luke Anders and an RBI single by Shofner gave A&M a 10-run lead in what would mark the final runs of the evening.

Shofner continued his amazing start to the year, going 2-for-2 with two runs scored and an RBI to push his season average to .917. The sophomore has reached base safely in 17 of his 18 plate appearances in '09. Petrich led the way with a team-high three hits (3-for-5) while scoring twice.

Hales went five complete to earn the victory, allowing two hits--the home run in the first and a two-out double in the fifth. He walked one and struck out four. After the first-inning long ball, Hales retired 13 of the next 15 hitters, with the only two reaching on a walk and an error.

The Aggie bullpen was once again outstanding, as Hank Robertson, Estevan Uriegas and Ross Stripling combined to allow just one hit and fan seven in four shutout innings.

Robinson (0-1) suffered the loss, allowing eight hits and 11 runs over three-plus innings of work. He walked one and struck out three, and only five of the runs allowed were earned. Boone Whiting struck out 10 in four innings of relief.

The series concludes on Wednesday with first pitch set for 3:05 p.m. Junior Scott Migl will make his first start of the season and will face off against Centenary senior Joe Hagen. The game will air locally on WTAW-AM 1620.

A&M Coach Rob Childress

(on A&M's quick start) "Well, I thought we started strong. Ross Hales, in his first career start, gave up a home run down in the count in the first inning, and we came back and answered with a six-spot. That's something we hadn't done over the course of the weekend against Wright State, and I was glad to see us not just score in the first but continue to build on that."

(on the Aggie hitters striking early) "They were ready to go. They knew what they were getting, with Centenary coming in here to open the year and what Dakota Robinson did to us last year, and they had a great approach early. Our hitters were locked in and ready to go."

(on the effort of the Aggie pitching staff) "We needed a quick start tonight because we had a young guy on the mound that needed to settle in and get comfortable, and Ross (Hales) really did. Hank was outstanding, even better than he was last weekend from a command standpoint, and it was nice to get the two guys that have yet to be in a game in there. I thought Esty and Ross Stripling were great."

(on holding Centenary off the basepaths) "For us to score six in the first kind of took them out of their offense and what they wanted to do. And to continue to build on that and not let them get back in the game, and to slow their running game down, was obviously important."