CORPUS CHRISTI - The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi baseball team dropped a pair of games to
Texas-Pan American Tuesday afternoon at Chapman Field. The Islanders fell in the first game of the doubleheader 2-1, before dropping the nightcap, 7-3. The Broncs take the series after winning three of four games this year.
"All of our downfalls today came on offense," noted head coach Scott Malone. "We didn't maximize our time on offense and we made it really easy for them to pitch us. We went out and got ourselves out way too much by not letting them pitch to us and just didn't slow the game down and give ourselves a chance.
"Our offense has been down this year and that is obvious and we have relied on our pitching to keep us in game," Malone went on. "We just didn't make enough plays to win and it's as simple as that."
On the day, A&M-Corpus Christi (20-21) was outhit just 14-13, but 11 walks, five wild pitches, and a hit batsman were too much to overcome as the Broncs took advantage of the miscues in each game.
Game One
Three consecutive singles in the top of the second inning were all UTPA would need to secure the 2-1 win in the opener. The Broncs would record just four hits the remainder on the game.
Sophomore Zacarias Hardy made things interesting in the bottom of the ninth after he led off with his first career home run to make it a 2-1 ballgame. The Islanders would fail to put another runner on base in the inning, as Matt Rigby picked up the save for UTPA.
Dalton D'Spain's only mistakes of his second start of the year came in the second as after allowing the three hits, the junior would give up only three more in his six innings of work. D'Spain struck out four and walked just one on the day.
Kevin Landgrebe tossed the final three innings, striking out four and not allowing a hit.
Game Two
A leadoff walk would come around and score Texas-Pan American (17-25-1) to open the contest but the Islander answered right back in the bottom of the frame as Hardy picked up an RBI single to right field to score Jordan Lee and tie the game.
UTPA would score the go-ahead run in the third. Cole Loncar doubled between three Islanders in left field with one out before going all the way home later in the inning on a wild pitch that made its way to the Islanders dugout.
Texas-Pan American (17-25-1) would continue its onslaught in the fourth and fifth innings, scoring a pair of runs in each frame.
There was a glimpse of hope for the home team in the seventh as they put two runs on the board. A single by Cody Clarke followed by a UTPA throwing error put pressure on the Broncs pitchers for the first time in the game. Lee was able to drive in Clarke on a single out to left center field before Tyler Ware finished the scoring with a line shot out to right field, scoring Lukas Hermanson.
Texas-Pan American would put out the fire the Islanders started in the very next inning, scoring a run on a fielders choice to seize the momentum.
Garrett Harris took the loss in the nightcap after allowing four runs in three and a third innings. Senior Tyler Schnuriger went three innings in relief, allowing only one hit while fanning three Broncs. Jacob Dorris pitched one and two-third innings and struck out three of the five batters he faced.
The Islanders will return to the road for their next seven games, first with a trip to Huntsville to take on Sam Houston State this weekend before making the trek to Houston for a midweek matchup with Rice.
For updates throughout the season be sure to follow the team on Twitter and Instagram (@IslandersBSB) and Facebook (Islanders Baseball). Fans can also receive updates on the team by downloading the Islanders Front Row App at GoIslanders.com/frontrow.
