SAN ANTONIO – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi baseball team saw its bats come alive, sweeping a doubleheader from Incarnate Word, 13-0 and 12-4 on Saturday at Sullivan Field. With the wins and Stephen F. Austin's victory over Lamar, the Islanders have clinched their fifth straight berth in the Southland Conference Tournament. A&M-Corpus Christi and Sam Houston State are the only two teams that have advanced to the event in each of the last five seasons.
Brandon Guilford was the offensive star for the Islanders, going 7-for-9 in the doubleheader with three stolen bases, three runs and four RBI in the double-dip. Kyle Danford also had five hits on the day, while Tyler Ware and Zacarias Hardy each delivered four.
Matt Danton and Devin Skapura were stellar on the mound for the Islanders, combining to allow just one run in 15 innings with only 10 hits and one walk allowed. The duo also combined to strike out 17, as the Islanders had their top two scoring offensive games of the season.
GAME 1: ISLANDERS 13, INCARNATE WORD 0
Danton posted a career-high 12 strikeouts in eight shutout innings, scattering six hits, to improve to 4-6 on the year in a 13-0 shutout victory. The Islanders bats were equal to the task, bashing out 14 hits in the win. It marked the most runs the Islanders have scored this season.
Hardy, Ware and Guilford each delivered three hits in the win, with Ware scoring four runs and Guilford driving in four. Hardy scored three times and hit his second home run of the year in the win. Thomas Casey tossed a scoreless ninth to finish off the victory.
A&M-Corpus Christi came out swinging in the first inning and struck first. Casey Thomas led off with a walk and moved into scoring position with his sixth stolen base of the year. Hardy followed, and sent a 1-2 pitch through the right side for an RBI single and a 1-0 lead. Ware added a single in the frame, but the Cardinals were able to emerge with no other damage.
In the second, the Islanders doubled their advantage. Again, it was a leadoff walk that started things, as Cody Clarke drew a free pass to start the inning. After a Guilford sacrifice moved Clarke to second, he advanced to third on a wild pitch. Lukas Hermanson followed and battled his way back from an 0-2 count to 3-2, then roped a double into the left field corner to make it 2-0.
A&M-Corpus Christi made it three straight innings on the scoreboard in the third. Once more, a walk started the rally, with Ware drawing a one-out free pass and moving to third on a perfectly executed hit-and-run by Danford. After a groundout moved Danford to second, a wild pitch moved both runners ahead, with Ware coming in for the third run of the day and a 3-0 lead.
Meanwhile, Danton was dominant on the other side, scattering single hits in the first three innings, then retiring the side in order in the fourth. It took the righty just 42 pitches to get through the first four frames.
The offense finally put a crooked number on the board in the fifth. Ware led off the frame with a double into the right-field corner, and Danford followed with a single to left to put runners at the corners. Justin Perales came to the plate next and roped a double to right center to bring a run home for a 4-0 lead. Guilford then came through with the big blow, driving a triple to the gap in right center to plate two more and make it 6-0.
In the sixth, the Islanders continued their assault. Three straight singles by Jordan Lee, Hardy and Ware brought one run in, and an error on the second baseman added another run. With runners at second and third and two out, Guilford came through once again, looping a single to right center for two runs and a 10-0 advantage. The Islanders added a pair of additional runs in the seventh to make it 12-0. Hardy added a solo homer in the ninth to result in the final score.
GAME 2: ISLANDERS 12, UIW 4
A&M-Corpus Christi wasted no time in getting things going in game two, as Lee took a the third pitch of the game the other way for his fourth home run of the season. Then in the second, the Islanders scored two more runs. Danford led off the inning with a triple and came in to score on a Frankie Salas RBI groundout. Guilford then singled, stole second and moved to third on a balk. He would come in on a sac fly from Brett Burner that made it 3-0.
The Islanders tacked on a three-spot in the top of the fourth. Guilford led off the inning with a single, stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. After a pair of lineouts, Lee drew a walk and promptly swiped second base. Thomas followed, and ripped a single to left field to plate both runners for a 5-0 lead. Ware followed, and with Thomas going on the pitch, smashed a double to left center to plate Thomas and make it 6-0.
Meanwhile, Skapura was cruising, setting down the side in order in both the second and third. He worked around a leadoff double in the fourth, but stranded the runner on third. The Cardinals finally cracked the scoreboard in the bottom of the fifth, as Jesse Hoover hit the first pitch he saw into the netting in right for his second home run of the year. But Skapura bounced back to retire the side in order in both the sixth and seventh, retiring his last eight batters of the game.
The Islanders batted around in the top of the eighth, plating six runs to push the lead to 12-1. Lee delivered a two-run single in the frame, while Salas delivered a two-run double to left center as well. The Cardinals plated three runs in the bottom of the inning to cut the deficit to 12-4, with the key play a two-run triple for Mark Whitehead. But Jacob Dorris finished off the eighth and the ninth without further incident to finish off the victory.
The Islanders will next take to the diamond on Thursday, May 14, for the first of three games against Houston Baptist at Chapman Field. The teams will play the final series of the season, with games slated for Thursday and Friday at 6 p.m. and the series finale scheduled for Saturday at 2. Saturday's contest will be Senior Day, as the Islanders will honor their 11 seniors prior to the contest.
Live stats and video of all three games will be available through GoIslanders.com and via the Islanders Front Row mobile app. For all the latest on Islanders Baseball, be sure to follow the team on Twitter and Instagram (@IslandersBSB) and like the team's official Facebook page (IslandersBSB).
