Building Champions
 Patterson Powers Farmers to Fall World Series Crown

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Oct. 29, 2009

Final Stats

COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Senior first baseman Joe Patterson (Tulsa, Okla.) went 3-for-3 with two home runs and six RBIs to lead the Farmers to a 10-6 win over the Plowboys and the Texas A&M baseball Fall World Series title on a windy and sometimes wet Thursday afternoon at Olsen Field.

Patterson reached base all five times he stepped up to bat, doubling and being hit twice by a pitch in his other three plate appearances. The victory gave the Farmers a sweep of the world series and clinched them the coveted Omaha Cup, a trophy that rewards the squad that compiles the most points throughout the fall in many areas of competition--not only through on-field results, but effort, classroom attendance, academic performance and community service, among others.

The Farmers hit .350 in the three games and their pitching staff posted an impressive 2.50 ERA. Five members of the squad hit .400 or better in the world series, led by sophomore shortstop Adam Smith (Spring), who hit .636.

Looking to keep their title hopes alive, the Plowboys struck in the top of the third to take an early lead. With one out, senior left fielder Dylan Petrich (Wichita, Kan.) notched the squad's first hit of the afternoon, an infield single to short. The next batter, freshman center fielder Brandon Wood (Sugar Land), belted a long two-run home run off the top of the scoreboard in left center to stake the Plowboys to a 2-0 lead.

The Farmers answered quickly, however, scoring three in the bottom half of the frame to take their first lead of the day. Junior second baseman Andrew Collazo (Paterson, N.J.) led off with a sharp single to right center field and subsequently broke to steal second base. That decision turned out to be wise, as a sure double play ball to short forced the Plowboys to take the out at first and allow Collazo to slide safely into scoring position.

 

 

Sophomore third baseman Matt Juengel (Houston) was hit by a pitch to put the tying run on base, and Patterson followed by crushing his first of two home runs on the day, a three-run shot to center field.

Back-to-back singles to begin the Plowboys fifth by junior first baseman Kenny Jackson (Corpus Christi) and sophomore shortstop John Stilson (Texarkana) set the table for Petrich, who laid down a bunt to the left side of the mound. Farmers starter Michael Wacha pounced on the ball, but his throw to third to get the lead runner sailed wide and down past the dugout, scoring Jackson easily with the tying run and moving Stilson to third.

After a strikeout, a hit batter loaded the bases, but Wacha was able to induce a comebacker off the bat of freshman right fielder Tyler Naquin (Spring) and turn the 1-2-3 double play to end the threat and keep the score tied at three.

Three straight one-out singles off reliever Shane Minks in the top of the sixth would put the Plowboys back on top. Junior third baseman Caleb Shofner (Hewitt) singled through the left side and moved to third on a hard ground ball past a diving Patterson and into right field. Junior catcher Kevin Gonzalez (Houston) then singled back up the middle to push home Shofner and make the score 4-3.

The Farmers again answered in the bottom half of the frame. Smith laced a leadoff double into the left field corner, moved to third on a ground ball and scored on a chopper over the mound off the bat of senior right fielder Nick Anders (College Station) that tied the game.

With two outs, junior designated hitter Nick Fleece (Fort Worth) singled to left and Collazo doubled to the base of the wall in left, chasing Plowboys starter Barret Loux and putting two in scoring position. The next batter, senior center fielder Brodie Greene (Bullard), greeted reliever Jake Feckley with a bloop single to center off the end of the bat to drive home two and give the Farmers a 6-4 lead. After Juengel followed with a base hit to right, Patterson doubled into the right field corner to plate two more and make the score 8-4.

Sophomore second baseman Scott Arthur (Spring) launched a two-run home run to left in the top of the seventh to pull the Plowboys within two.

For the third time in the game, the Farmers responded in the same inning by loading the bases off reliever Carson Middleton. With one down, Fleece lined a ball back at Middleton, who made a great stab to record the second out. The Plowboys pitcher had a chance at Joaquin Hinojosa, who was attempting to dive back to the bag at third, but Middleton's throw went wide of the bag and up against the camera well. The error allowed Hinojosa to score easily and up the Farmers lead to 9-6.

Sophomore Denny Clement (Tulsa, Okla.) came on out of the Farmers' bullpen with two on and one out in the eighth. After he walked Stilson to load the bases, Clement got a strikeout and a foul out deep in the right field corner to keep the Plowboys off the scoreboard.

Patterson would add a solo home run to dead center field in the last of the eighth to make the score 10-6. The Farmers would then double off the final runner of the game on a fly ball to center field in the ninth to end the series and start the celebration out behind the mound.

In addition to Patterson, Greene had a three-hit afternoon for the Farmers while driving in a pair. Collazo, Smith and Alcazar also had two hits apiece.

Every starter in the Plowboys lineup recorded at least one hit, led by a 2-for-4 showing by junior designated hitter Brett Parsons (The Woodlands).

Minks, a senior from West Columbia, picked up the win in relief for the Farmers. He allowed four hits and three runs over two innings of work. Sophomore Estevan Uriegas (Round Rock) picked up a hold with 1/3 of an inning of work, while Clement earned the save after closing out the game with 1 2/3 innings of one-hit, shutout baseball.

Wacha, a freshman from Texarkana, went five innings and gave up four hits and three runs (two earned). He did not walk a batter, hit two and struck out three and did not factor in the decision.

Loux (Jr., Houston) suffered the loss, lasting 5 2/3 innings on the afternoon. He gave up nine hits and six runs, while walking none, hitting three and striking out five.

Texas A&M, which returns six starters and 20 letterwinners from a 2009 squad that posted 37 wins and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive season, will open the season on Friday, February 19 against Seton Hall at Olsen Field.

FALL WORLD SERIES RESULTS: Game 1: Farmers 4, Plowboys 2 (Farmers lead, 1-0) Game 2: Farmers 6, Plowboys 2 (Farmers lead, 2-0) Game 3: Farmers 10, Plowboys 6 (Farmers win series, 3-0)

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