No. 16 Texas A&M’s game against No. 8 Texas Friday at Olsen Field was like two boxers trading punches in the ring.
In extra innings, the Longhorns landed a right hook for the knockout to win the first game of the series 11-9.
“It was a good game,” senior center fielder Kyle Colligan said. “Texas played well but I think we played a better game.”
The Aggies fell to 32-17 overall and 13-9 in Big 12 play. A&M needed to win to take control of where they finish in the standings as it now trails Texas by two games. The two remaining games against the Aggies are the Longhorns’ final conference games of the season.
With Kansas State losing at Texas Tech 6-0, Texas now controls where it finishes in the standings because a sweep of A&M would earn the Longhorns the regular season title.
Texas took a 3-0 lead in the first four innings as sophomore pitcher Chance Ruffin controlled the strike zone. Ruffin had a no-hitter going through four innings before Aggie freshman right fielder David Alleman came through with a single to left field in the fifth.
Aggie junior left fielder Joe Patterson tied the game in the sixth inning with a one-out three-run home run over the right field wall, which awoke the 8,343 fans in attendance, the third largest crowd in Olsen Field history.
“I was very impressed with what we did tonight,” A&M Head Coach Rob Childress said. “We competed from start to finish.”
Sophomore southpaw Brooks Raley started on the mound for the Aggies. After giving up the three runs, he settled down for two innings, retiring seven consecutive batters. But in the seventh inning Raley struggled with command as the Longhorns answered Patterson’s home run with a five-run inning.
Raley was pulled with one out in favor of junior right-hander Alex Wilson. Wilson recorded two quick outs to end the inning.
“We left [Raley] in probably two hitters too long,” Childress said. “That’s my fault.”
A&M answered with four runs on two two-run home runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. After freshman shortstop Adam Smith reached first base on a one-out walk, junior second baseman Brodie Greene hit a long fly ball over the left field foul pole. Ruffin was then pulled for Texas senior closer Austin Wood.
“The key to that game was getting Ruffin out of the game and getting to the bullpen, even though that’s a great bullpen as well.” Colligan said.
Staying in the game as the designated hitter, Raley was ejected after arguing a called strike three for out No. 2 of the inning. Senior first baseman Luke Anders hit a single to left field to set up a home run by Colligan, cutting the Longhorns’ lead to 8-7.
A&M tied the game in the eighth inning, nearly taking the lead on called out at the plate. Alleman walked with one out to reach first. Freshman Scott Arthur then pinch ran for him and stole second base. Freshman Adam Smith came through one out later with a triple to left center field that bounced off the wall.
Smith rounded third base to attempt to score the go-ahead run but was blocked at the plate by Texas sophomore catcher Cameron Rupp.
“I had both hands on the plate before he tagged me,” Smith said. “Unfortunately the umpire made the wrong call. He said I didn’t touch the plate. I thought otherwise.”
Rupp said Smith never got to the plate.
“I couldn’t see it at all. The players were in front of me,” Childress said. “I could tell by the motion of the players and the fans that he was safe – they felt like he was safe and we just didn’t get the call.”
The Longhorns went down in order in the ninth inning and the Aggies failed to score Greene after he led the inning off with a single, sending the game to extra innings.
Texas came out firing, scoring three quick runs to take an 11-8 lead. Colligan responded in the bottom half of the inning with a triple to right field. Patterson then hit a single to left field to score Colligan, getting A&M to within two runs of the Longhorns.
However the Aggies failed to score Patterson as the next three batters went down in order.