Gonzaga University
#8 Texas A&M
Zags Lose Pitcher's Duel To Aggies In 11 Innings
2/25/2011 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
Feb. 25, 2011
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - In what was a pitcher's duel Friday in College Station, Texas, Texas A&M University defeated Gonzaga University 1-0 in 11 innings. The loss drops Gonzaga to 0-4 this season.
The Aggies (5-0) are ranked No. 8 by Collegiate Baseball newspaper, No. 13 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and No. 21 in Baseball America.
With runners on second and third with one out, Texas A&M broke the scoreless contest with an RBI single up the middle by left fielder Brandon Wood off of relief pitcher Andy Hunter, who suffered his first loss of the year and his career.
Left-hander Ryan Carpenter made perhaps the best start in his career, taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning and finishing the day having allowed a career-low one hit in a career-high 7 1/3 innings. He also matched his career-high in strikeouts with 10.
Aggies second baseman Andrew Collazo broke Carpenter's no-hitter with a single to center field and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Carpenter got out of the inning with a pair of fly outs and a strikeout, respectively.
"Ryan had a great outing. He pitched his tail off," Bulldogs head coach Mark Machtolf said. "He really kept us in the game by pounding the zone and keeping Texas A&M off balance. Quality, quality start from him."
Aggies right-hander John Stilson allowed four hits and nine strikeouts in nine innings. Relief pitcher Ross Stripling went two innings and allowed one hit to earn his first win of the year.
The Bulldogs best scoring opportunity came in the seventh inning. Third baseman Eric Lane singled up the middle but was forced out at second on a fielder's choice by designated hitter Clayton Eslick. Tyler Chism entered the game to pinch run for Eslick and reached third base on a balk followed by a groundout by catcher Cameron Edman. But Chism was picked off by Aggies catcher Kevin Gonzalez to end the inning.
The Bulldogs and Aggies play game two Saturday at 12:05 p.m. Left-hander Marco Gonzales is expected to start for the Bulldogs.
