EDINBURG – Texas-Pan American closer Ray Silva forced Byran
Gerondale to hit into a double play with the bases loaded in the
top of ninth ending a Texas A&M-Corpus Christi rally to send
the Islanders to their first loss of the season, 5-3, Tuesday night
at Edinburg Baseball Stadium
The loss dropped
the Islanders to 9-1, while Texas-Pan American improved to 5-7 on
the season.. The loss was the fifth for the Islanders to the
Broncs.
A&M-Corpus
Christi rallied in the top of the ninth loading the bases with one.
After Josh Plumaj led off the inning with a single, Silva hit
Martin Parra with a pitch.
Silva recorded the
first out with a force at third when pinch runner Paul Saville was
retired on a grounder by Trae Williams. Chase Wheaton gave the
Islanders new hope when he reached on an infield single to load the
bases bringing Gerondale to the plate.
Silva forced
Gerondale to put the ball on the ground to third baseman Patrick
Brooks. Brooks threw out pinch runner Ernie Olivarez at home for
the first out with catcher Osiel Flores getting Gerondale at first
to end the game
After falling
behind 1-0 in the bottom of the first, Jon Kourie gave the
Islanders their first lead of the game with a three-run home run in
the top of the second. Kourie's home run came off starter Bryce
Smolen scoring Chris Widner and Chase Williams.
Smolen, who tossed
six innings and scattered seven hits, combined with Steven Davila
and Silva to shut the Islanders offense down the rest of the way.
The trio allowed 10 hits in the game, but forced A&M-Corpus
Christi to strand nine. Smolen moved to 2-0 with the win.
After the Broncs
pulled to within one with a run in the bottom of the second,
Abraham Garcia tied the game in the third with a single to drive in
Brooks off Islander starter Matt Wilson.
UTPA retook the
lead for good in the bottom of the sixth on a two-run single by
Leighton Autrey off Wilson, Autrey's hit to right drove in Blake
Whittlesey and Garcia. Autrey had a game-high three hits.
Wilson suffered
the loss for the Islanders to fall to 2-1. In his first start of
the year, Wilson scattered six hits but walked six. He struck out
four batters while allowing five runs – four earned. Wes
Thompson pitched two scoreless innings of relief to keep the
Islanders in the contest.
Chase Williams and
Parra led the Islanders with two hits apiece.
The Islanders
remain on the road this weekend as they head to Houston to compete
in the Rice tournament. The team will face Nebraska, Florida
Atlantic and Rice over the weekend. All three are ranked nationally
in various polls.
