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THE BATTALION
MONDAY, MARCH 27, 1978
A&M baseball team in second place
By DERRICK GRUBBS
The battle-scarred Texas A&M
baseball team limped its way into a
tie for second place in the SWC
standings this past weekend by
sweeping a three-game series from
the Rice Owls at Olsen Field.
The Aggies won their first game
in the new stadium Friday with an
8-3 victory, and came back Saturday
behind the shutout pitching of Mark
Thurmond and David Pieczynski to
take both ends of a doubleheader
4-0 and 5-0.
A&M did not come through the
series unscathed, however, as they
now have five key players hampered
by injuries. The most serious is
rightfielder Shelton McMath, who
could very likey be out for the re
mainder of the season.
The Houston Westbury junior
had been playing all season with a
sore left knee that he injured during
the fall. As he was bending down to
field a grounder in pre-game war
mups Friday, the knee buckled in
and McMath had to be taken out of
the lineup. Early examinations indi
cate a possible torn cartlidge, but
McMath was to be checked by the
A&M team physician today to be
which was bruised against Texas two
weekends ago.
Also, catcher Buster Turner
played all weekend with a sore
elbow that he injured in a game ear
lier in the week.
But despite all the physical hand
icaps, the Aggies still were able to
put down Rice and wind up a half
game out of first place in the SWC
standings.
Also injured was centerfielder
Mike Hurdle who pulled a hamstr
ing. Hurdle started every game
against Rice this weekend, but had
to be taken out of the lineup twice.
Also on the red cross list is third
baseman Mark Warriner, who is still
being slowed by a hyperextended
knee suffered in the Houston series
earlier this month.
Shortstop Robert Bonner is play
ing with a very sore left shoulder
In Friday’s game, righthander
Mark Ross had only one bad inning
in pitching his first complete game
of the season.
Other than a three-run rally in
the fourth, the Owls could do no
thing against Ross, advancing only
two baserunners as far as second
base through his eight other innings
on the mound.
A&M scored first with a five-run
outburst in the third. After Turner
singled and stole second, Bonner
reached on an error by the Rice
shortstop. Third baseman Robert
Verde then singled, scoring Turner,
followed by another single by right-
fielder Gary Bryant that scored
Bonner.
After first baseman Kyle Hawth
orne reached on a fielder’s choice
that allowed Verde to score, desig
nated hitter Rodney Hodde walked
to load the bases.
Leftfielder Tim Feickert, who
was inserted into the starting lineup
after McMath went down with the
knee injury, then lined a two-run
single that put A&M ahead by a 5-0
count.
r
SHOP
A walk, two singles and a double
allowed Rice to narrow the margin
to 5-3 the next inning, but Ross re
tired the next three batters to get
out of the jam.
While the Mt. Carmel junior held
the Owls scoreless the rest of the
way, A&M scored single markers in
the fifth, sixth and seventh frames to
come away with the 8-3 win.
Ross allowed only five hits and
struck out seven in picking up his
third win of the year against three
losses.
The Aggies collected nine hits, led
by Feickert who was 2-for-3 with
three RBI’s. Bryant and second
baseman Randy Woodruff also had a
pair of hits for A&M.
The losing pitcher for Rice was
Doug Watson, who dropped to 3-3
on the year.
In the first game of Saturday’s
doubleheader, Thurmond and Owl
pitching ace Allan Ramirez were
locked in a scoreless pitching duel
until the fifth when A&M scored all
four of its runs.
It began when Feickert walked
and was safe at second on an error by
the Owl second baseman. Woodruff
then loaded the bases when he
reached on a bunt attempt that was
popped up but fell just beyond
Ramirez’ outstretched glove for a
base hit.
Bonner then lined a single to left
to score Feickert, followed by a two-
run double by Verde that fell behind
the Rice rightfielder as he lost the
ball in the sun. A bloop single over
second base scored Bonner to give
Thurmond a 4-0 cushion.
The crafty lefthander allowed only
two Owls to advance as far as second
base and completed the game to
notch his sixth win of the year with
out a loss.
Thurmond scattered only three
hits in reording his sixth career shut
out. The win also marked his eighth
consecutive complete-game victory
in SWC play. It was Thrmond’s 17th
straight regular-season win without a
loss and leaves him still unscored
upon through SWC play this year.
Ramirez, although victimized by
poor fielding on the part of his
teammates, was pegged with his
fourth loss of the season to go with
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two wins.
The 5-0 victory for A&M in the
nightcap proved to be a major mile
stone for two Aggies in particular. It
was senior David Pieczynski’s first
complete-game win and Kyle
Hawthone broke one of the oldest
individual records in the A&M
books.
Pieczynski allowed only six hfts in
registering his second shutout as an
£ Aggie and boosting his season record
to 3-3. Although he had to work his
way out of trouble on a number of
occasions, five times he was suc
cessful in getting the final two outs of
the inning after Owl runners had
reached base. He was also aided by
three double plays behind him.
A&M scored two runs in the first
on a pair of singles by Bonner and
Hawthorne and an error by the Rice
third baseman. They added another
unearned run in the fourth without
the benefit of a base hit, and rounded
out the scoring in the eighth when
Hawthorne blasted his way into the
A&M record books with his tenth
home run of the season.
After Bryant walked with two out,
Hawthorne belted a 3-2 pitch 60 feet
beyond the left field fence to break
the 16 year-old homerune record of
nine held by Byron Barber.
“I knew it would come sooner or
later,” said the Beaumont junior.
“I’m glad I could hit it here at Olsen
Field in a game that means so much
as far as the SWC race is concere-
d.” Hawthorne was also the game’s
leading hitter, going 3-for-3 with
four RBIs.
The losing pitcher for Rice was
Matt Williams, who drops to 1-4.
The Aggies are now 19-10 on the
season and 6-3 in SWC play. They
are currntly tied with Arkansas who
is scheduled to begin a rain-delayed
series with TCU today in Fayet
teville.
Rice drops to 10-16 on the year
and are now the conference cellar-
dwellers at 3-9.
The next action for A&M will
come this weekend when they travel
to Waco to take on league-leading
Baylor in a three-game set. Their
next home game is April 5 when they
host the Houston Astros in a 1:0 p.m.
exhibition game at Olsen Field.
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