Aggie hitters unload in ECU series opener

UPDATED STATISTICS»

ADA, Okla. (April 1)  - Cameron scored 11 runs in the top of the first inning and never looked back Saturday, blasting Lone Star Conference North Division rival East Central 22-1 in the opening game of a three-game series at Tiger Field.

Coach Todd Holland's Aggies pounded out 18 hits in the game and out-hit ECU in the second contest, as well, but came away with a 5-4 loss in the nightcap. The teams will play the rubber match of the three-game series, a single nine-inning contest, on Sunday at 1.

Saturday's first contest was over shortly after it began, as the Aggies sent 15 batters to the plate in the opening frame. Cameron combined seven hits in the inning with a pair of walks, two hit batters, two ECU errors and a pitching change to race to an 11-0 lead.

East Central plated its only run of the game in the bottom of the first on a bases-loaded RBI groundout by Gus Bordones.

Despite the comfortable 10-run lead after the first inning, the Aggies weren't done scoring. C.J. Nelson led off the top of the second with a solo homer, his first of the season, to left field. The Aggies then erupted for seven more runs on six hits in the fourth inning, including a two run single by Greg Patton and a two-RBI double to center by Matt Machinski.

The Aggies added insult to injury on a solo homer by Blake Hughes in the fifth and a two-run blast by Ryan Whiteley in the sixth.

Art Gonzales picked up the mound victory for the Aggies, allowing just five hits and one run in the complete-game effort. He struck out three and walked one. Six Aggies had multiple hits in the game, led by Patton's 4-for-5 effort. The senior outfielder had four RBI and three runs scored.

Bordones helped ECU jump out to the early lead in the second game. The junior centerfielder rapped a two-run single in the first inning and made it a 4-0 game in the third with a two-run homer off Aggie starter L.J. Willis.

Cameron rallied to even the score, however. Patton led off the fourth with a single to center and later scored on a Whiteley single. Machinski then scored Mark Armstrong on an RBI groundout later in the inning.

After Willis held the Tigers scoreless over the next two innings, Machinski followed a leadoff walk to Whiteley with a two-run homer to tie the score at 4-4.

But Bordones came through again, leading off the bottom of the sixth with a double. He scored two batters later on Matt Stout's RBI single that proved to be the game-winner. Matt Kennell came on to pitch the seventh for the Tigers and earned his second save of the season while retiring all three Aggie hitters he faced.

Bordones finished 3-for-3 at the plate with four RBI to lead the Tigers. All nine Aggie hitters had one hit in the game, with Machinski collecting three RBI.

Willis took the loss on the mound. He struck out one and walked one while allowing eight hits and five earned runs.