There is at least one advantage to batting third over cleanup -- you get the first crack at coming up with a big hit.
Just ask Texas A&M's Brodie Greene, who delivered the decisive blow in the Aggies' 2-1 victory over Winthrop on Sunday.
"I asked [No. 4 hitter] Joe [Patterson] who was going to do it, me or him, and I guess I got [the first chance], so I got it done for us," Greene said of his one-out RBI double in the eighth inning that lifted A&M to a sweep of Winthrop at Olsen Field.
Greene lined his double directly over the head of left fielder Chas Crane to score Andrew Collazo, who reached on an high-bouncing infield single and moved to second on Scott Arthur's fifth sacrifice of the season.
The late one-run lead was all the Aggies (9-2) needed for their sixth straight win with the way the bullpen -- especially John Stilson -- has thrown so far this year.
With the score tied at 1-1 and runners on first and second in the sixth, Stilson entered and gave up a hit to the first batter he faced before striking out the next two to keep the Eagles from taking their first lead of the entire series.
"I was pumped up for that one inning, and I got out there and hung a slider and the guy crushes it to center and luckily they didn't score," Stilson said. "In the bullpen I could tell I wasn't going to have my best stuff today. I just knew I was going to have to dig down deep and that's what I did."
Matt Thielepape stroked the single up the middle, but with Greene charging and only one out the Eagles held Adam Gliebe at third. It was only the second hit surrendered by Stilson (2-0) in 16 innings this season.
Eddie Roman, who had an RBI double in his previous at-bat, struck out looking and Matt Pierpont went down swinging.
Stilson walked and hit a batter later, giving him eight base runners allowed in 2010. He struck out four in 3 2/3 innings Sunday to run his total to 18.
"At the end of the game Stilly didn't have his best command today and that is the sign of a great pitcher, when you don't have your great command you find a way to get it done," A&M coach Rob Childress said.
Stilson, like starter Nick Fleece, got help from his defense.
Arthur set the tone for the sharply played game with a diving catch in left field of a liner off the bat of leadoff hitter Tyler Cook. Cook was also victimized by Greene in center field his second time up, while second baseman Andrew Collazo took a hit away from Tyler Donovan on a low liner to the first base side.
"I thought we played some incredible defense, made not just routine plays but great plays and found a way to win," Childress said.
Neither team committed an error.
"Coach Childress harped [that] they were going to bring their best, that they had nothing to lose today," Greene said. "Our job was to come out and sweep the series, and they gave it their best."
For the second time in three games the Eagles (7-3), who were hitting .386 coming into the series, were held to just three hits. Fleece allowed two of those in his five innings of work, giving up one run.
Winthrop starting pitcher Wade Newman matched Fleece. He gave up six hits in 6 1/3 innings but minimized the damage, allowing only a single run in the second.
A&M's Kenny Jackson, who is hitting just under .600, doubled over the first base bag to open the threat in that second frame. Kevin Gonzalez's single to right scored Jackson when Sean Sullivan, who would have likely had a play at the plate, overran the ball in his haste.
Winthrop tied the score when Roman's double in the fourth plated Sullivan, who reached on a single up the middle to lead off the inning.
*
NOTES -- The Aggie bullpen has given up one earned run in 44 2/3 innings and opponents are hitting just .125 against it. Relievers have stranded 24 of 26 inherited runners. ... Joe Patterson has a 16-game-hitting streak, going back to last season. ... A&M returns to action on Tuesday at 6:35 p.m. for the first of two games against Penn State at Olsen Field.
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