The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Texas A&M
Baseball claims second consecutive outright Big 12 regular-season title with 3-2 win over Aggies
05.19.2007 | Baseball
AUSTIN, Texas -- Freshman Josh Prince delivered a game-winning single in the bottom of the eighth inning to lead No. 7 Texas to a 3-2 win over No. 9 Texas A&M in Big 12 Conference baseball action Saturday evening at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
With the win, Texas claimed its second consecutive outright Big 12 Conference title and its fourth overall. The Longhorns also earned the No. 1 seed at the Big 12 Conference Tournament which starts Wednesday in Oklahoma City.
The score was knotted 2-2 in the bottom of the eighth inning when Nick Peoples hit a one-out single through the left side of the infield. Chais Fuller appeared to ground into a double play but the throw from second base squirted in and out of the glove of Aggies' first baseman Blake Stouffer. Fuller ended up on second base on the miscue and scored on a single by Prince on a 1-0 offering from Aggies' reliever Kirkland Rivers.
Texas A&M (41-14, 13-12) drew first blood in the top of the third inning. Brandon Hicks earned a leadoff walk, moved to third on a single to rightfield by Luke Anders and scored on a single by Craig Stinson.
The Aggies inflated the cushion to 2-0 in the top of the fourth inning. With one out, Dane Carter drew a walk, stole second base and scored on a single to leftfield by Hicks.
Texas (41-14, 20-6) began its comeback in the bottom of the fourth. Bradley Suttle hit a leadoff single and moved to third on a double by Preston Clark. With one out, Fuller delivered an RBI single to leftfield, trimming the lead to 2-1.
The Horns tied the score in the fifth inning. Jordan Danks drew a leadoff walk and Kyle Russell singled through the right side to put runners at the corners. Chance Wheeless drove in the equalizer with a single down the leftfield line, knotting the score at 2-2 and setting up Prince's late-game heroics.
Joseph Krebs (7-1) earned the victory with a solid relief performance. He weaved 4.1 scoreless innings, allowing just two hits while fanning four Aggies. Randy Boone struck out the side in the ninth inning to earn his 12th save of the season.
Rivers (1-3) was saddled with the loss for the Aggies. He allowed one unearned run on three hits while striking out one over 1.2 innings.
Danks, Wheeless and Preston Clark each had two hits for the Longhorns.
Carter went 2-for-2 with one run scored for Texas A&M.
With the win, the Longhorns also claimed the State Farm Lone Star Showdown baseball trophy. The Lone Star Showdown wraps up Sunday with a 2 p.m. contest at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.
