SECTION
i Sports
k&M hosts UT in
(battle for Big 12
By Dallas Shipp
THE BATTALION
In what will be the biggest
match of the season for both
teams, the Texas A&M women’s
tennis team will square off with
the University of Texas in College
Station on Wednesday with the
Big 12 Championship on the line.
The match will be the first of
two matches this week that stand
between the No. 27 Aggies and
their first Big 12 Conference
championship.
With a win over No. 10
Texas, the Aggies will be in
position to face Kansas on
Friday for the Big 12
Championship.
The Aggies (20-3, 8-1) are
coming into the match on a huge
boost of momentum after sen
iors Olivia Karlikova and
Majorie Terburgh dropped their
first sets and rallied to win their
matches Saturday against
Kansas State, giving A&M the
5-2 victory.
“Everyone is pumped,”
Terburgh said. “Last year we
played Texas in Austin, but this
year we are at home. I think we
are going to beat them.”
The Aggies have won their
last six matches and 12 of their
last 13, while Texas has won
eight of its last nine matches.
Historically, A&M has not
fared well against the Longhorns
(16-5, 9-0). Texas holds an
impressive 29-2 record against
See Battle on page 4B
STUART VILLANUEVA • THE BATTALION
Olivia Karlikova and the Texas A&M women’s tennis team hosts the
University of Texas in a match that could decide the Big 12 champion.
THE BATTALION
Wednesday, April 17, 2002
Ag bats come alive in 9-2 win
JOHN LIVAS • THE BATTALION
Texas A&M’s Neal Stephenson slides into second base during the third inning of the Aggies’
9-2 win over Sam Houston State on Tuesday night. The win raised A&M's record to 29-13.
Bearkats fall to
A&M barrage
By Doug Fuentes
THE BATTALION
The Texas A&M baseball team got off
to a good start to its pivotal week as it
downed the Sam Houston State Bearkats
for the third time this season, 9-2, on
Tuesday at Olsen Field.
The No. 16 Aggies, who host
Southwest Texas State today at 7 p.m. and
square off with Baylor in a key Big 12
Conference series this weekend, started to
build momentum by getting their bats
going against the Bearkats.
A&M pounded out 13 hits, going 8-
for-15 with nine RBIs with runners in
scoring position.
“I was pleased with tonight,” said A&M
head coach Mark Johnson. “I thought we
were more relaxed and had more fun at the
ballpark. Tuesday games are tough and
we’re now 8-for-9 on Tuesday games. I
have no problem with that.
“Runs have been hard for us to get so
it’s nice when we can have a big game and
score some runs.”
The Aggies (29-13) jumped to a quick
start, scoring three runs in the first inning
on consecutive RBI singles by Neal
Stephenson, David Evans and Justin Pouk.
Sam Houston State (16-24) answered
in the second inning as Lawrence Riva
sent an offering from A&M starter Kyle
Parcus over the left field wall to cut the
lead to 3-2.
With the score still 3-2 going into the
fourth inning, Parcus ran into more
trouble.
Marshall Williams and Carroll Kelly led
the inning with back-to-back singles to put
runners on first and third with no outs.
Parcus worked his way out of the jam
by striking out Lou Ferrell and Riva and
getting Cory Whitlock to fly out to end
the inning.
“I told myself that I had to win that
inning,” Parcus said. “I couldn’t let them
score. We were up 3-2 and I told myself
that I was going to win that inning no
matter what.”
Those would be the last base runners
the Bearkats would have as Parcus and
reliever Brian Finch combined to throw
five perfect innings to end the game.
Parcus (3-3) evened his record with the
victory, pitching six innings, giving up
two runs on five hits and striking out five.
Finch recorded the save, pitching three
perfect innings and striking out one.
“Kyle, from time to time, is very
good,” Johnson said. “He’s young and he
has to learn to compete on every pitch.
When he learns to do. that, I think he’s
going to stay out of those jams.”
With the pitchers shutting the
Bearkats down, the A&M offense con
tinued its onslaught with two runs in
both the fourth and fifth innings on RBI
singles by Eric Reed and Matt
Alexander and a two-run double by
Ryan Wardinsky.
Wardinsky was also the catalyst for the
Aggies’ two-run eighth inning as he led
off the inning with a double.
Wardinsky, who has seen more play
ing time at third base lately, led the
Aggies, going 3-for-4 with two doubles
and two RBIs.
Steven Ponder (1-1, 8.59 ERA) will
take the mound for the Aggies against
Southwest Texas.
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