THE BASICS:

• Score: #23 Texas A&M 19, Holy Cross 2
• Records: Texas A&M (1-0); Holy Cross (0-1)
• Pitching Decisions: W: A.J. Minter (1-0) | L: Phil Reese (0-1) | S: Kyle Simonds (1)
• Location: College Station, Texas | Olson Field at Blue Bell Park
• The Lead: Texas A&M third baseman Ronnie Gideon batted 4-for-6 with a home run and eight runs batted in to help lead the No. 23 Aggies to a 19-2 victory over Holy Cross in non-conference baseball action on Friday night.

TURNING POINT:

• After scoring three in the bottom of the first inning, Texas A&M tallied seven runs in the bottom of the second to gain the 10-0 lead. Gideon belted a three-run home run in the second frame for the Aggies.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

• Texas A&M started the contest with three runs in the bottom of the first. The Aggies added to their lead in the bottom half of the second inning with seven runs on five hits, including two homers in the frame by Gideon and Logan Taylor. Texas A&M pushed across three more runs in the bottom of the third to gain the 13-0 advantage.
• Holy Cross scored its only two runs of the game in the top of the fifth inning to make the score 13-2. Senior Evan Ocello (Camarillo, Calif.) scored on an RBI-single by classmate Jack St. Clair (Newton, Mass.) and junior shortstop Nick Lovullo (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) crossed home on a fielder's choice by sophomore Bill Schlich (Massapequa, N.Y.).
• The Aggies added four runs in the seventh inning and two more in the eighth inning to make the score its final, 19-2.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS:

• Texas A&M starter A.J. Minter picked up the win, as he tossed five innings and allowed two unearned runs to go with seven strikeouts. Kyle Simonds pitched the final four frames for the Aggies and did not allow a base runner, while striking out four to earn the save.
• Holy Cross sophomore righty Phil Reese (Frederick, Md.) was charged with the loss (0-1), as he allowed three runs in the opening frame. The Crusaders used a total of eight pitchers in the contest.
• The Aggies outhit the Crusaders, 15-5 and had seven extra-base hits including three home runs.

BEYOND THE BOX SCORE:

• Ocello scored his 100th career run in the contest.
• Freshman Dan Vucovich (Lititz, Pa.) hit a triple in his first collegiate at-bat, while classmate Cam O'Neill (Lynn, Mass.) recorded his first career hit.

UP NEXT:

• Holy Cross will play the second game of the three-game series with Texas A&M on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 3:05 p.m. (EST).

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