#17 Texas A&M Clips Kansas State, 6-4
Apr 11, 2003 | Baseball
April 11, 2003
Manhattan, Kan. - Texas A&M junior left-handed pitcher Kyle Parcus allowed just four hits in five scoreless innings of relief of starter Logan Kensing on Friday evening, as the 17th-ranked Aggies sent Kansas State to its 13th consecutive loss with a 6-4 victory before a crowd of 647 fans at Tointon Family Stadium. It marked the Wildcats' first home conference night game in nearly five years.
With the win, Texas A&M improved to 27-11 on the season and 8-5 in Big 12 Conference play, while Kansas State fell to 10-21 overall and 0-10 in league play with the loss. The 13-game losing streak equals the 1960 squad for the second-longest streak in school history and represents the longest since dropping a school-record 14 in a row in 1984. The skid also ranks as the longest of the Mike Clark era.
The 10-game skid to start league play continues to be the worst since earning 15 straight losses to begin Big Eight play in 1986.
Texas A&M jumped on the scoreboard first, as senior designated hitter Jordy Mitchell scored from third base in the top of the second inning on a RBI single down the left field line by junior first baseman Eric Scheidt. However, Kansas State responded with a run of its own in the bottom of the inning, as senior catcher Ryan Baldwin collected his team-leading 14th double then scored on a RBI single to left field by senior second baseman Brandon Taylor.
Kansas State took its first lead in 42 innings in the bottom of the third inning, as the Wildcats plated three runs on three hits and an error. It was the Wildcats' first lead since 4-3 against Missouri on March 30. Junior third baseman Ty Soto led off the inning with a single to center field then moved to second on a throwing error by Aggie starting pitcher Logan Kensing. After a ground out to move Soto to third, senior first baseman Tim Doty gave the Wildcats' runners on first and third after he was hit by a pitch. Senior shortstop Brett Williams then scored Soto and moved Doty to third on a RBI single to right field. With runners on the corners and just one out, Baldwin singled through the hole in second base to score Doty. Senior outfielder Gabe Luttrell flied out on the next at-bat, but was followed with consecutive walks to give the Wildcats a 4-1 lead.
However, Texas A&M responded two innings later in the top of the fifth to take the lead for good with four runs on five hits and one error. Freshman third baseman Cliff Pennington and junior second baseman Erik Schindewolf started the inning with back-to-back doubles to right-center field to close the deficit to 4-2. After consecutive fly-outs, junior outfielder Justin Ruggiano reached base on a throwing error by the third baseman that allowed Schindewolf to score. A stole base by Ruggiano and a hit by junior outfielder/reliever Scott Beerer set up back-to-back RBI singles by Mitchell and junior catcher Craig Stinson that gave the Aggies a 5-4 lead.
Texas A&M added an insurance run in the sixth, as Pennington singled then scored on a double by Schindewolf.
Schindewolf and Mitchell each earned three hits to pace the Texas A&M attack, while Beerer and Pennington had two apiece.
Baldwin led three Wildcats with multiple-hit games, as he went 3-for-5 with a RBI and a run scored, while Soto and Luttrell added two hits each. All but one player in the lineup had at least one hit in the Wildcats' 12-hit attack.
Parcus moved to 3-2 on the season in picking up the win in relief for Texas A&M, as he allowed just four hits in five innings with four strikeouts and five walks. Beerer collected his team-leading seventh save, as he allowed just two hits in 1-2/3 innings pitched with two strikeouts.
Junior right-haned pitcher Jim Ripley dropped to 2-4 on the season in taking the loss for Kansas State, as he allowed five earned runs (two unearned) on 10 hits in five innings pitched with five strikeouts and one walk.
Kansas State continues its three-game series with Texas A&M on Saturday with first pitch set for 2 p.m. at Tointon Stadium.
