CORPUS CHRISTI - Northwestern State used a three-run fifth inning to power itself to a 6-3 win
over the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi baseball team Saturday at Chapman Field. The loss marks the fourth consecutive contest that the Islanders have dropped, falling to 19-19 overall and 9-11 in Southland Conference play.
Senior Trevor Belicek pitch one of his best games of the season, but Islanders miscues in the field led to the southpaw working from behind in the later part of the game.
A&M-Corpus Christi led for most of the day, picking up a run apiece in both the second and fourth inning, but Northwestern State's Josh Oller would control much of the game on the mound as he struck out nine batters and walked just one in seven innings of work to pick up the win.
One player that has played well throughout the series so far has been sophomore Zacarias Hardy. The Islanders designated hitter scored both of the team's runs to start the game. Hardy first came around after a leadoff double down the right field line in the second and again in the fourth after reaching via an infield error.
Northwestern State (24-17, 16-6 SLC) didn't get their offense rolling until the middle of the game. In the fifth inning, the Demons picked up three run, all of which were unearned due to an infield error by the Islanders.
NSU's Nick Heath opened the frame reaching base by error followed by two infield hits. Joel Atkinson sacrifice flied to plate the first run of the game before Cort Brinson singled to center field to score two more Demons.
Northwester State added on to its lead in the seventh and eighth innings, scoring three more times. From the top of the fifth to the top of the ninth, the Demons picked up leadoff baserunners, accounting for three runs.
The Islanders would get a run in the eighth inning after Jordan Lee led off with a single and eventually came around to score on a Kyle Danford sacrifice fly.
Belicek took the loss for the Islanders, after pitching a superb game on the mound. The Uvalde, Texas native struck out 12 batters, with five of the first six outs of the game via the strikeout. The loss drops Belicek to 7-3 on the season.
Lee was the only other Islander to record a multi-hit game, finishing 3-for-4 with a double and scoring a run. Lee joins Hardy who finished 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored as well. Brett Burner, Justin Perales and Danford each had an RBI apiece.
The teams will wrap up the series Sunday at 1 p.m. with sophomore Devin Skapura taking the mound for the Islanders. Sunday is also Family Day at Chapman Field with face painting and a bounce house.
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