BAYLOR BASEBALL FALLS TO No. 19 TEXAS A&M 11-1

WACO, TEXAS (April 20, 2008) No. 19 Texas A&M hit five home runs en route to an 11-1 victory over Baylor in Saturday night’s Big 12 Conference game at Baylor Ballpark. The Bears (23-16, 8-9) have lost three straight games for the third time this season; Baylor has not suffered a four-game skid since 2006. The Aggies (32-7, 14-3) clinched the series with the victory after winning Friday’s series opener 2-1 at College Station.

Darby Brown’s one-out solo homer to right in the second broke a scoreless tie, but it was a six-run third that did in the Bears. Kyle Colligan led off the inning with a home run to left. After Blake Stouffer struck out looking, Dane Carter walked, and Jose Duran followed with a two-run homer to right-center. Texas A&M capped the inning with a Brian Ruggiano RBI single, a Ben Feltner RBI triple and a Kevin Gonzalez RBI single.

Baylor had a chance to immediately answer in the bottom of the inning. Beamer Weems and Jon Ringenberg had back-to-back singles to start the frame, and Gregg Glime advanced both with a sacrifice bunt. Shaver Hansen was then hit by a pitch to load the bases. However, Raynor Campbell grounded into an inning-ending double play.

Ruggiano led off the fifth with a homer to left-center. A three-run sixth capped the Aggies’ scoring on the night. Duran was hit by a pitch to open the inning, and Luke Anders followed with a two-run round-tripper to right-center.

The Bears cracked the scoreboard in the seventh when Adam Hornung hit the first pitch of the inning over the wall in left-center; it was his fourth homer of the season and extended his hitting streak at Baylor Ballpark to 15 games.

Texas A&M starter Barret Loux (3-1) picked up the win; he held Baylor scoreless on a pair of hits and two walks with five strikeouts over 5.0 innings. Hank Robertson surrendered Hornung’s home run, two singles and a walk with four strikeouts over the final 4.0 innings for his first career save.

Baylor starter Shawn Tolleson (4-2) took the loss; he allowed six runs on six hits and two walks with two strikeouts over 2.2 innings.

The series concludes Sunday at 2 p.m. CDT. Baylor sends right-hander Willie Kempf (5-1, 3.71 ERA) to the mound. Texas A&M counters with right-hander Clayton Ehlert (5-2, 3.00 ERA).

NOTES: Texas A&M leads the all-time series 144-113-1; Baylor maintains a 72-68 advantage in games played in Waco. The Bears are 21-17 against the Aggies since the inception of the Big 12 in 1997, including a 20-15 edge in regular-season meetings. Baylor is 24-20 against Texas A&M during head coach Steve Smith’s tenure. … Texas A&M tied a Baylor Ballpark record for home runs by a visiting team; Oklahoma also had five homers in a 16-12 Baylor victory April 23, 1999. … Hornung (five games) and Ringenberg (four games) both extended hitting streaks. Dustin Dickerson (five games) and Shaver Hansen (four games) both saw hitting streaks end. … Campbell saw his 11-game hitting streak in Big 12 play end.