EDINBURG, Texas – After a week away from the diamond, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi flipped the script on Tuesday at UT Rio Grande Valley. On this day and night, the Islanders used the big inning to sweep a twin bill with the Vaqueros, 6-3 in game one and 9-2 in the nightcap.
"Just a short overview of nine hours of baseball today, I thought the guys played great," said head coach Scott Malone. "When you look over the course of the day, we outplayed those guys to the tune of 15-5 so I'm kind of happy with everything. I thought we pitched it well, played tremendous defense and had a lot of timely hitting today."
GAME ONE: ISLANDERS 6 – UTRGV 2
Zacarias Hardy launched a 2-1 fastball sailing over the left field wall for his first career grand slam to give the Islanders a 6-2 lead in the fifth inning. The big fly would prove to be all the Blue and Green needed in the opener of Tuesday's doubleheader as Devin Skapura and Aaron Hernandez combined to work the final five frames of the 6-3 victory.
The top three men in the Islander order all finished with two-hit games, led by Hardy who finished the game 2-for-4 with a pair of runs scored and four RBI. Leadoff man Casey Thomas finished 2-for-4 with two singles and a pair of runs scored while three-hole Zack Gibson went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
On the mound, Chris Falwell threw four strong innings, allowing just a single earned run on two hits. Despite leaving prior to the fifth, Falwell picked up his first career win on the Island as the left-hander was on a declared pitch count.
The Islanders hung a 4-run fifth on the board to break open a tied game. Cullen Jozwiak was hit-by-pitch to start the frame. Two batters later, Lukas Hermanson was also plunked to put two aboard with one out. Casey Thomas then loaded the bases on an infield single as he chopped one deep in the hole at short, leaving the Vaqueros with no play.
That's when Hardy jumped on an elevated 2-1 fastball, crushing it over the left field wall for the difference maker.
Devin Skapura inherited a 6-2 lead in the fifth and would limit the Vaqueros to just a single unearned run over the next 3 2/3 innings. Skapura allowed five hits in his relief outing. Both Falwell and Skapura are expected to get the call as starters for the weekend series versus Nicholls.
The final 1 1/3 innings belonged to freshman Aaron Hernandez. The rookie did not surrender a hit to the four men he faced, striking out one to earn his first career save.
• Jozwiak went 1-for-3 with a run scored.
• Hardy and Gibson picked up their team-best seventh multi-hit game of the season.
• Lukas Hermanson added a 1-for-2 day at the plate to tally the Islanders' seven hits.
GAME TWO: ISLANDERS 9 – UTRGV 2
The nightcap of the doubleheader held a similar script for the Islanders. After falling behind 1-0 in the first inning, the Islanders scored the next eight runs of the game, all with two outs.
The Blue and Green struck twice in the top of the fourth to take its first lead of the game. Hardy singled to open the rally and moved to second on a base knock by freshman Nick Anderson. After a punchout for the second out of the inning, Austin Krajnak ripped a single into center to level the game at 1-1. The next batter, Brett Burner, followed suit with a single through the right side to put the Islanders ahead.
Two innings later, the Islanders broke the game wide open with a 5-run, 2-out rally. After a flyout and strikeout to open the inning, each of the next six men reached base. Burner started the merry-go-around with his second single of the game before Scott Balfantz lined one into center to chase UTRGV starter Pablo Ortiz (1-2). A Brian Deaver walk loaded the bases for Casey Thomas who flared a base hit into center scoring two.
A batter later, Gibson roped a triple to left center field to plate two more. The Islander center fielder would cross the plate on Hardy's RBI-single to close out the scoring in the inning. The Blue and Green plated five runs on five hits in the frame.
"I thought the RGV arms did a good job of pitching below the zone today and making us stick to the plan of being patient," said Malone. "We did that and then once we got it going, we really were able to crank out some runs. I thought we got production from a lot of guys, obviously the big name guys drove in a lot of the runs, but Burner and Balfantz had a couple of great at-bats and Yates had two hits. It was good to see a lot of guys get involved."
From there, the Islanders cruised to the doubleheader sweep. On the hill, Chris Cooper (1-1) picked up the win after going four innings in the start. The redshirt-sophomore allowed a single run on five hits while striking out three to level his record on the season.
• Garrett Harris worked a scoreless two innings, allowing just a single and a walk to eight batters.
• Dalton D'Spain allowed a run on two hits, but struck out two in his inning of work.
• Kyle Carroll finished a scoreless eighth, allowing just a single hit.
• Nolan Holland finished the game with a clean ninth inning, striking out two of the three he faced.
Behind the strong pitching, the Islanders also played great defense, turning three double plays in the second game alone.
"I thought Burner and CT up the middle made some really good looking plays," said Malone.
Four Islanders had multi-hit games in the nightcap as the bats exploded for 14 hits in the rout.
• Hardy went 2-for-5 with an RBI. On the day, he was 4-for-9 with five RBI and three runs scored.
• Gibson also added his eigth multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with a pair of triples to finish the DH 4-for-8.
• Dawson Yates went 2-for-5 with a double and run scored.
• Krajnak finished 2-for-3 with the lone RBI.
• Burner ended his night 2-for-5 with a run and RBI.
SOUTHLAND ARRIVES THIS WEEKEND
The Islanders return to Chapman Field to host their Southland-opening series versus Nicholls on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
