Chris Vergne ripped a two-run single with outs in the bottom of
the eighth completed a Texas A&M-Corpus Christi comeback from
4-1 down in its final two at bats on Friday as they rallied for a
5-4 win over UTSA at Whataburger Field.
With the win, Islanders end a 6-game Southland Conference losing
streak and move to 12-15 on the season and 4-7 overall. UTSA is now
11-14 and 2-9 in the SLC. The series is now even at 1-1 as UTSA won
the opener 19-5.
"We try to stay on an even keel whether we win or lose," said
Islander head coach Scott Malone. "We don't to get on that roller
coaster. The guys kept plugging away and pulled out the win. I
always try to remind the guys that you are never that far away from
being the team we want to be. We took a huge punch from UTSA
yesterday and I am proud with how we came back and performed."
Down by 4-3 in the bottom of the eighth, Cory Ege reached on a
one-out single to right and went to second on a ground out. Mike
Pierce then relieved Matt Crocker and walked Trey Hernandez.
Jeramie Marek drew a walk loading the bases bringing Vergne to the
plate. The junior lined a single to right field off UTSA closer
Kevin Clarke drving in Ege and Hernandez.
Adam Hoelscher (1-0) started the ninth by allowing a single to
Daniel Rockett, who went to second on a balk. With Hoelscher behind
in the count 2-1 to Ryan Rummel, Roman Madrid entered for the
Islanders struck him out looking. Madrid then struck out Ryan
Hutson and Ryan Dalton swinging to end the game for his first
save.
Hoelscher tossed three scoreless innings to get his first
collegiate victory after relieving Orr. Orr went five innings
scattering seven hits punching out a season-best six. He permitted
all four runs.
UTSA struck first with a single run in the third inning to break
the scoreless deadlock. With two away, Daniel Rockett scored on a
single to left by Hutson.
Weston Montgomery tied the game for the Islanders in the bottom
of third. He belted an 0-1 pitch over the fence in left field for
his first home run of the season. It was the first hit of the
evening for the Islanders off Crocker, who allowed five hits total
in 7-2/3 innings and struck out six.
After Orr worked out of a jam in the fourth, he wasn't as
unfortunate in the fifth. With one out, Thursday's starting pitcher
Casey Selsor hit a fly ball to left that carried over the left
field fence. It was the sophomore's third home run of the year.
A&M-Corpus Christi pulled to within a run at 4-3 in the
seventh with a pair of runs coming off balks by Crocker. Jeramie
Marek and Vergne singled to start the inning and advanced 90 feet
on a sacrifice bunt by Omar Garcia. Marek and Vergne came home on a
pair of balks with two outs.
Vergne finished with two of the Islanders six hits. He drove in
two and scored a third. UTSA had 10 hits in the game led by Lance
Brown, Hutson and Carpenter with two each.
The series concludes on Saturday at 2 p.m. at Chapman Field.
