The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
baseball team scored four runs on a pair of two-run home runs in
the fifth and received solid pitching and defense as the Islanders
won 4-1 to defeat Sam Houston State for the second night in a row
at Whataburger Field. A&M-Corpus Christi will go for the sweep
on Saturday at 2 p.m.
The back-to-back wins are the first of
the season for the Islanders, who improve to 5-14 on the year and
are 2-3 in the Southland Conference. The Bearkats fall to 3-2 in
the league and are 12-8 overall.
"This is the
type of game that I thought we would need to end the streak last
night," said Islander head coach Scott Malone. "We got a tremendous
start from Omar Gutierrez, got some timely hits and we made the
type of plays on defense that we've been needing."
All five of the
runs in the game were scored in the fifth in a game that started as
a pitchers' duel as Sam Houston's Ryan Weber scored on an RBI
single by Ryan Trevino with two outs.
The Bearkat
lead was brief as the Islanders struck four runs in the bottom of
the fifth on a pair of two-run home runs off SHSU starter Will
Skelton. With one out, Martin Parra reached on a single and scored
on Gerondale's second home run of the season to left. After Chase
Williams kept things going by reaching on a bunt single, Stephen
Flora roped a two-run home run to nearly the same spot as
Gerondale's.
"The two home
runs looked the same but were completely different," said Malone.
"One you didn't see coming because Gerondale has been struggling
for awhile, while Stephen has been hitting the ball well and you
thought something like that may be coming."
Skelton fell to
2-2 as he allowed four runs on seven hits in five innings. He
struck out four batters. Brent Powers pitched three perfect innings
of relief.
Strong pitching
and defense made the lead hold up for the Islanders.
In the sixth,
starter Omar Gutierrez, who overcame five walks on the night to get
his first win of the season, worked his way out of a jam with
runners on second and third and no outs. Seth Hammock led of the
inning with a single and moved to third on a double by Daniel
Nottebart. The Islander senior picked up his seventh strike out of
the game for the first out and then popped up Weber and Todd
Sebek.
He had also
worked out of a bases loaded jam in the third by getting Bobby
Verbick to hit into a fielder's choice. Verbick entered the game
with a .435 average.
"Omar hadn't
shown the type of character and heart that he showed tonight," said
Malone. "To work out of a bases loaded jam in the third with
Verbick at the plate was huge. Then in the sixth when he was out of
gas he showed the heart we hadn't seen by stranding the runners on
second and third."
Gutierrez (1-2)
scattered five hits over six innings and allowed the one run. He
struck out seven batters and has 16 in his last two starts.
The relief duo
of Bryant Sparkman and Brett Gips made the lead stand with some
help from the defense. Sparkman tossed two innings allowing three
hits, while Gips pitched a scoreless ninth to earn the Islanders
first save of the season.
Williams aided
Sparkman in the eighth with a running catch for the first out and a
diving catch for the second out before the Bearkats tried to rally
with back-to-back singles by Mark Wyatt and Weber.
In the ninth,
Ernie Olivarez made a diving stop of a grounder by Keith Stein and
threw him out at first. After Bobby Verbick flew out to right for
the second out, Gips walked Trevino before ending the game by
getting Heath Pugh to pop out to second.
"Sparkman and
Gips earned their money tonight and did what we asked of them,"
said Malone. "Chase made some big defensive plays that take the
momentum away from the other team. Right when they get on that top
step when it looks something was going to happen for them he makes
a play that makes them sit back down and keep the momentum with
us."
