Next Game: Dartmouth 3/1/2015 | 12:00 PM SEC Network + 1150 AM

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas A&M Aggies stretched their season-starting win streak to 11 games Saturday afternoon with an 8-1 win over the Dartmouth Big Green on Olsen Field at Blue Bell Park.



The 11-0 start is the best for the Aggies since they started 14-0 in 1993 and it marks the eighth time in the 113-season history of the program the Maroon and White have started a campaign with 11 consecutive wins.



The Aggies logged 12 hits in the game, marking the ninth time in 11 contests they have reached double digits in the hits column.



Texas A&M's number 5-through-8 hitters combined to bat 12-for-16 with three runs and five RBI. In the five hole, Nick Banks went 2-for-4 with one home run, two runs and two RBI. In the six spot, Logan Taylor hit 2-for-4 with one RBI. Blake Kopetsky batted seventh, going 2-for-4, and Hunter Melton went 3-for-4 with one double, one run and two RBI in the eight hole.



For the second consecutive game, the Big Green drew first blood. Dartmouth broke the scoring seal with two outs in the top of the third inning when Joe Purritano drove a 0-1 offering from Aggie starter Grayson Long into the visitor's bullpen in rightfield for a solo dinger, staking Dartmouth to a 1-0 advantage.



The Aggies wrestled the lead away from Dartmouth in the bottom of the fourth. Mitchell Nau was hit by a 1-2 pitch and GR Hinsley reached base on a catcher's interference, giving A&M two runners to start the frame. Banks exceeded his expectations when putting down a sacrifice bunt, placing it perfectly between the pitcher and third baseman, resulting in a bases-loading single. Taylor chopped a single through the left side of the infield, knocking in Nau for the equalizer. After Kopetsky struck out for the first blemish of the inning, Melton drove a single up the middle, plating two for the 3-1 lead.



Banks gave the Aggies a 5-1 advantage in the seventh when he tattooed a 2-2 offering for a two-run dinger over the leftfield fence. The two-out home run was set up when Hinsley worked a five-pitch walk.



Texas A&M blew the game open in the bottom of the eighth. With one out, Melton laced a double down the leftfield line and Nick Choruby followed with a walk. Blake Allemand gapped a double to left centerfield, plating Melton. Patrick McLendon drove Choruby home with a grounder to second base and Michael Barash capped the cavalcade of runs with an RBI single to leftfield, sending Allemand home for the 8-1 margin.



Long (2-0) earned the win for the Aggies, allowing one run on five hits and two walks while striking out four over 6.0 innings.



The Aggies' bullpen stretched its scoreless innings streak to 18.2 innings, allowing just one hit in three innings of work. Jason Freeman allowed the lone reliever hit in the seventh. Schlottmann induced three groundouts in a 1-2-3 eighth. Mark Ecker closed out the game striking out two of the three batters he faced in ninth.



Louis Concato (0-1) was saddled with the loss for Dartmouth. He allowed three runs, two earned, on six hits while striking out two over 5.0 innings.



The Aggies host the Big Green on Sunday, looking for their third three-game series sweep of the season. First pitch is slated for 12:05 pm.



TEXAS A&M QUOTES

Head Coach Rob Childress

On the game…

“I felt like this was our most complete game of the year. It all starts on the mound. We played great defense on the dirt. Offensively we sure had another really good day against another start for Dartmouth.”



On the team coming from behind again…

“I think it's important. We are going to be in those spots a lot throughout the course of the year. Being able to answer back when they score first is the sign of a great team and I think we've got one of those.”



Junior third baseman Hunter Melton

On his recent success…

“I just had to be ready to go. I haven't had my opportunity the first couple games, so I just kept cheering on the team and doing whatever it takes to help us win. I wanted to stay focus and keep my composure and be ready to go when my name was called.”



Junior outfielder Logan Taylor

On the game today…

“I felt good today. The first inning was kind of rough and I had that one mistake in the third. The ball leaped over the middle of the plate and good hitters are going take advantage of mistakes and he did. After that, I settled in, got in a grove, and felt good.”



On the defense and offense around him…

“We have the best offense in the country right now. It is awesome being at the park and watching these guys do what they do every day. The defense was incredible today. That's the best we've played defensively this year."