CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – In a midweek contest cut short by lightning and approaching storms, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi dropped its third-straight game, falling 6-3 to UTSA after five complete innings.
The game followed a familiar tune to other Islander losses early this season, as UTSA (8-4) used the big inning to break open the game. The Roadrunners pushed across five runs in the second inning to take a commanding early lead. Only one of those five runs was earned as Islander starter Chris Cooper (0-1) fell victim to three errors in the frame.
The Blue and Green rallied back in the third, scoring a pair to pull within three runs. Lukas Hermanson (1-for-2) opened the rally with a 1-out single to left field. The catcher would move from first to third on Casey Thomas' single up the middle. Zacarias Hardy (2-for-3, 2 RBI) brought Hermanson to the plate with an infield single on a chopper to the third, cutting the lead to 5-1.
After Zack Gibson walked to load the bases with one out, UTSA went to the bullpen for Andre Shewcraft. Freshman Nick Anderson gave the Islanders their second run when he lifted a Shewcraft offering into rifght field, scoring Thomas from third.
UTSA would answer back with a solo home run off of reliever Dalton D'Spain in the top half of the fourth to quell the momentum.
As lightning began to flicker in the distance, the Islanders looked to have the makings of a big inning in the fifth as back-to-back singles plated a run to open the frame. It was Thomas (2-for-3, 2 R) who rolled a ground ball through the right side to get things started with his second hit of the night. After a errant throw on a pick off attempt moved Thomas to second, the shortstop raced home on Hardy's second RBI-single of the night.
Hardy was later cut down trying to steal second as UTSA avoided the big frame. In the top of the sixth, UTSA struck again with a 3-run home run to right center, but shortly after, a bolt of lightning struck beyond the outfield wall. The game was called minutes after and the score officially reverted to the last completed inning with a final of 6-3 after five.
UP NEXT
The Islanders will look to bounce back Friday night as the Blue and Green welcome Louisiana Tech to Chapman Field for a weekend set.
