SAN ANTONIO
– The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi baseball team dug itself a
hole early Friday night at Roadrunner Field against preseason
favorite UTSA falling behind 9-0 before recovering to tie the game
at nine in the eighth inning.
The Roadrunners
however pulled out the victory with a run with two outs in the
ninth.
A&M-Corpus
Christi (9-18, 1-9) fell behind 9-0 after three innings before
chipping its way back into the contest. The Islanders would score
four runs in the fourth two in the sixth and three in the top of
the eighth to tie the game at nine.
UTSA
(15-8, 7-3) would rally for the game-winning run in the bottom of
the ninth after the Islanders went down in order in the top half of
the inning. The Roadrunners' Jose Hernandez began the bottom of the
ninth by walking and went to second a sacrifice bunt by Aaron
Powell. After reliever Brett Gibson (0-1) picked up the second out
of the inning by popping up Ryan Rummel and Jason Mohn walked,
Lance Brown picked up his third hit of the evening with a single to
right driving in
Johnston to end the game.
Trailing 9-0
after three innings, the Islanders started chipping away at their
deficit.
In the top of
the fourth, TAMUCC rallied for four runs on five hits with two outs
off Red Patterson. Trey Hernandez sparked the offense with a solo
home run to right field for his seventh of the season. Jonathan
Reyes followed with a double and scored on a flare to left by
Justin Greiner. The Islanders loaded the bases as Brycen Bell
singled and Jeramie Marek walked. Flora's two-run single capped the
inning.
A&M-Corpus
Christi plated a pair of runs in the top sixth to pull within 9-6.
Bell and Marek opened the inning with consecutive singles. Reliever
Casey Selsor loaded the bases by walking the first batter he faced
in Flora. Jacob Perales
brought in the first run with a productive out, while Martin Parra
drove in the second run with a single to left.
The Islanders
pulled even in the eighth. Selsor walked Bell and Marek to start
the inning. Zach Calhoon (3-1) replaced Selsor and allowed a hit to
Flora loading the bases with no outs. After Perales went down on
strikes, Jeremy Narvaez was hit by a pitch for the first run. With
two away, Trey Hernandez picked up his second and third RBI of the
game with a single up the middle.
With the
offense clawing back from the 9-0 deficit, the Islanders got solid
middle relief from Trevor Foss and Bryant Sparkman. Foss pitched
1-1/3 innings of scoreless baseball, while Sparkman tossed three
shutout innings. Gibson was also solid despite allowing the
deciding run.
After Jake
Liedka worked out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the first,
the Islanders weren't as fortunate in the second. The Roadrunners
erupted for five runs on five hits. Marshal Davis had the big hit
with a bases clearing triple off reliever Andrew Longoria to drive
in a pair. Davis came home on a sacrifice fly
The hosts made
it 9-0 in the third with five runs. Davis picked up two more runs
in the third lining a two-out single to plate two and was thrown
out attempting to go to second on the throw towards home.
Liedka allowed
four runs on four hits and three walks in an inning of work.
Longoria tossed 1-2/3 innings allowing five earned runs on four
hits.
"I was
extremely disappointed with the performance of Liedka and
Longoria," said Islander coach Scott Malone. "They really put us in
a hole, but I was pleased with how we showed a lot of fight to come
back and tie the game. We took it to their No. 1 starter and top
reliever.
"We got some
really good pitching from Foss, Sparkman and Gibson. We started
putting up some zeroes and gave the offense a chance. Even thought
Brett gave up the final run I thought he pitched well. Brown's hit
was just a good hit.
"You look and
see the championship banners in left field for '05, '07 and '08 and
that gives them a lot of confidence. UTSA never thought they were
going to lose and that is where we want to get."
The Islanders
out-hit UTSA 14-13 in the game. Bell led the way with three hits,
while Flora, Parra, Hernandez and Reyes each had a pair. UTSA had
three players with a trio of hits. Davis was 3-of-4, Mohn, 3-of-4
and Brown 3-of-5.
The two teams
continue their series on Saturday at 2 p.m. with a single game on
Sunday at 1 p.m.
