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A&M splits doubleheader with Missouri

Special to the Eagle

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Texas A&M rallied late for a 3-1 victory over Missouri in the opener of a Big 12 Conference baseball doubleheader, then the host Tigers scored in the ninth in the nightcap for a split.

Unranked Missouri (25-10, 7-4) squandered a 6-1 lead in the second game, but plated the game-winning run without a hit, preventing 13th-ranked A&M (29-8,7-6) from moving ahead of the third-place Tigers.

Senior right-hander Kyle Nicholson (8-1) got A&M off to a good start with a complete-game seven-hitter. He struck out eight and walked two.

"Kyle Nicholson was outstanding," A&M head coach Rob Childress.

Missouri scored an unearned run off the former A&M Consolidated standout in the second. Trevor Coleman doubled, moved to third on Jacob Priday's infield single, and came home on an error by third baseman Dane Carter.

A&M tied it with an unearned run in the seventh. Kyle Colligan reached on third baseman Kyle Mach's error. Luke Anders reached on first baseman's John McKee error. Craig Stinson grounded into a double play, but pinch-hitter Josh Stinson doubled.

A&M won it in the ninth with two more unearned runs

Blake Stouffer and Colligan each reached on errors. Anders bunted the runners up. Stouffer easily scored on Craig Stinson's squeeze bunt. The throw by Missouri pitcher Aaron Crow to catcher Coleman was late trying to get Stouffer, but Coleman threw out Stinson. Colligan, who didn't slow up as he reached third, also scored on the play when Coleman threw to first.

Crow (4-2) allowed only three hits, striking out five and walking three.

Missouri took control of the nightcap with a six-run third, despite getting only two hits, an RBI double by Ryan Lollis and a two-run double by Aaron Senne. A&M walked three batters and hit a batter in the inning.

A&M cut Missouri's lead to 6-3 in the sixth on two-out RBI singles by Colligan and Anders.

A&M tied it in the seventh on Brandon Hicks' three-run homer. Hicks, who was 2 for 4, had a 17-game hitting streak snapped in the opener.

"We didn't panic or quit in the second game and we put ourselves in a position to win," Childress said. "The guys fought all the way back to tie the game, but could not make a play at the end. We battled for 18 innings today, but unfortunately we only got one win out it."

Missouri won it in the ninth. Lollis walked and was bunted to second. A wild pitch moved him to third. Coleman was intentionally walked by reliever Kyle Thebeau. Jacob Priday a grounder to shortstop Hicks, who mishandled it, but recovered to get the force out at second. The relay throw from second baseman Parker Dalton to first was just late, allowing Lollis to score.

Scott Migl threw 4 1/3 scoreless innings for the Aggies as Thebeau (2-2) took the loss. Kyle Gibson (5-3) retired two hitters to get the win.

The two will conclude the three-game series Sunday.