Special to The Eagle
Two pitches later, Carter smashed a three-run double into the right-center field gap, lifting the fifth-ranked Aggies to a 6-3 victory in a 5 hour, 20 minute marathon at Haymarket Park.
"That's as good a game as I've ever been a part of," A&M head coach Rob Childress said. "It was an incredibly pitched game, [Nebraska starter Johnny] Dorn and [A&M starter Brooks] Raley were just outstanding. I did everything I could to cost us that game, but these guys are tough and they don't quit. They overcame my mistakes tonight and I'm proud of them."
The A&M dugout erupted when Carter connected for his double, but the Aggies were in an even bigger frenzy when closer Travis Starling went back to the mound for the bottom of the 16th.
Starling, who allowed just four hits over eight shutout innings of relief, gave up a one-out single to Abeita but retired the next two batters to end the game and give the Aggies a 3 1/2 game lead in the Big 12 with five conference games left.
Starling, who set a new career high for innings pitched in a game, said didn't know how much more his body could take. But his mind wouldn't let him quit.
"My body was telling me I should have quit three innings ago, but I wanted to stay in there, I wanted to pitch," said Starling, who threw 105 pitches. "With the adrenaline going, knowing that with three more outs we would win the game, there's no way I wasn't going to go out there to pitch."
Starling's effort was just the icing on the cake for the Aggies after starter Brooks Raley and reliever Kyle Thebeau combined to throw eight innings of five-hit baseball.
Raley escaped a jam in the bottom of the fifth. With runners on second and third and nobody out, the freshman left-hander retired the next three hitters to get out of the inning unscathed.
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Posted by: Craig On: 5/10/2008
Comment Title: More $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Like our football program a change was needed and now it is a time to put up the money!! Our Baseball Program is back on track and we need to keep this winner!!! Gig'em Aggies!!!! TU is next!!!!
Posted by: Rock On: 5/10/2008
Comment Title: Bottom of 9th
I confess to not knowing the batters as well as coach Childress, but I was yelling 'walk him' at my laptop in the bottom of the 9th with 1st base open. If they had, I think the game would have ended on a double play.
Posted by: tbr On: 5/10/2008
Comment Title: Dear Eric Brown
It is not wise to point out grammatical flaws if you can not spell "title" correctly. The title of your post is even more humorous. "Check YOU English." Good job pffffffffft
Posted by: Darren On: 5/10/2008
Comment Title: The reason play was stopped
Play was stopped because the umpire called batter interference on the Ags when their catcher tried to throw out our base runner. The umpires determined that the runner would've been safe even if he wouldn't have interfered. At least that's the way Dave South saw it. Nebraska protested the game.
Posted by: Ronny On: 5/10/2008
Comment Title: Coaching
Maybe Childress was refering to the inning when Carter was caught stealing ...he would have scored otherwise...
Posted by: Eric Brown On: 5/10/2008
Comment Title: Check you English
Your tittle is not grammatically correct.
Posted by: NateDogg On: 5/10/2008
Comment Title: Subject-verb agreement
Great win for the Ags, but there shouldn't be an "s" after "win" in the headline.
Posted by: Ag Baseball On: 5/10/2008
Comment Title:
Brent, I think Childress is referring to the bottom of the 9th--A&M was up 3-2 and NU had one out with runners on 2nd and 3rd, and Childress decided not to walk the next batter to set up a possible double play. NU scored on a sacrifice to tie the game.
Posted by: Brent On: 5/10/2008
Comment Title: coach
why did childers think he tried to cost them the game, other than their seemed to be some bunting opportunies with 0 or 1 outs and runners on that could have helped. Also do we know why play was stopped, i think in the 13th or 14th inning?