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MISSOURI TIGERS
Missouri earns sweep against North Dakota
By John Montesantos
The Maneater — Tuesday, March 23
www.themaneater.com
The Missouri baseball team swept North Dakota over the weekend, winning in blowout fashion on Thursday before taking both games of a Friday doubleheader. A fourth game was scheduled for Saturday but was canceled due to inclement weather.
The Tigers move to 10-6 on the year with the rout of the struggling Fighting Sioux, who have just one win in their second season since being promoted to Division 1.
The Tigers hit at least one home run in each of the three games, starting with an offensive onslaught of four long balls Thursday. Missouri rode a prolific third inning to a 17-5 win in the series opener. The Tigers hit for the cycle in the third innning alone.
Missouri then added three more homers in the doubleheader Friday, including a two-homer game, one from junior third baseman Brett Nicholas. Missouri took game one 7-3 before shutting the Sioux out 6-0 in the rightcap. North Dakota fell to 1-9 on the season.
Two Missouri freshmen knocked their first career home runs in the series as outfielder Kale Gaden and infielder Eric Garcia each went deep. Garcia's inaugural dinger came as a three-run homer in game three that cemented the victory.
Nicholas led the team of sluggers with three shots on the weekend. The transfer student out of Scottsdale, Ariz., has recorded a hit in eight straight ballgames after strong showings against Xavier and North Dakota.
TEXAS A&M AGGIES
"It's all about keeping it simple and staying calm at the plate," Nicholas said. "Ever since last week, it's just staying calm and having confidence in what I do out there."
Tigers deny A&M sweep, take series finale 13-4
By Brad Cox The Battalion — Monday, March 29
For the second consecutive week the No. 25-ranked Texas A&M baseball team failed to sweep a Big 12 opponent.
The Aggies struggled to get timely hits Sunday, falling to Missouri 13-4 but winning the conference series 2-1.
A&M fell to 17-6 overall and 4-2 in the Big 12. The Aggies' 4-2 start is their best start in conference play since the 1998 squad did the same.
"It was another disappointing Sunday in that we weren't able to finish a sweep," A&M Head Coach Rob Childress said, "Give their hitters credit, they got the big hits when they counted."
The Tigers scored six runs in the third inning, getting five hits off Aggie senior starter Clayton Ehlert.
Ehlert, who has a 7.77 ERA, has struggled in most of his starts, with the best being seven shutout innings against Penn State on March 10.
In his worst starts, the opposing team was able to capitalize on a big inning to put A&M out of reach, and Missouri did the same.
After walking the leadoff batter in the third, Ehlert gave up three consecutive hits, including a two-RBI double to right center by Tigers catcher Brett Nicholas.
"I'm disappointed not in Clayton, but for Clayton," Childress said. "I feel like his stuff's been very, very good the last couple of times out, but he just doesn't have a whole lot to show for it."
The Aggie offense failed to answer Missouri's big inning, having its best inning with a two-out, two-run home run to right field by junior catcher Gregg Alcazar in the second. The Tigers extended their lead to 12-4 with a three-run spot in the sixth.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THE WAVE MARCH 31,2010