HOUSTON – A 10-run top of the seventh flipped the script Friday afternoon as Texas A&M-Corpus Christi overcame a 8-0 deficit with the nine-hit barrage to stun Houston Baptist, 11-9, in the series opener at Husky Field.
As unconventional as a 10-run seventh is in itself, Friday's may be one of the wildest as the Islanders (17-31, 6-19) used seven pinch hitters to spark the massive frame. Brian Deaver was the first to pinch hit, leading off the inning with a single. 11 batters and seven hits later, senior Justin Perales strode to the plate for the second time and laced a 2-RBI single into left center to complete the comeback and seize a shocking lead at 9-8. An infield single from Brandon Guilford, who also pinch hit in the frame, drove in the 10th and final run.
The 10-run inning was the largest for the Islanders since a 10-run frame against McNeese State back on March 25, 2011, a span of well over 200 games.
"I don't know that I did anything, I just changed every name we had," said head coach Scott Malone. "It was one of those where I didn't like the flow of the game. We were making quick outs, we didn't have much energy. I just wanted to try to change the energy in the dugout and put some different guys in there. Boy, did it change.
"I told these guys, it's a reminder – we all think we need Casey Thomas, Zacarias Hardy, Zack Gibson to win – it's a reminder that the game doesn't need any of us," continued Malone. "It will keep going without any one of us. I thought it was good for those guys because I know they've been putting a lot of pressure on themselves to turn it around and this is a huge win."
HBU (23-25, 12-14) used a pair of walks to start its day at the plate and turned the free passes into three runs on just a single hit. The Huskies added another two hits in the inning, but starter Chris Cooper (1-4) was able to stop the bleeding.
The early hole would grow as the Huskies added two more runs onto their lead in the bottom of the third. A trio of hits for HBU along with a passed ball led to the pair of runs. Andrew Alvarez opened the inning with a hit, scoring a run as part of his 4-for-4 day with three runs scored and a pair of RBI.
HBU continued the offensive onslaught in the bottom of the sixth as the Huskies chased reliever Nolan Holland with a pair of walks and eventually extended the lead to 8-0.
That's when everything changed. Deaver singled to open the seventh and the snowball started to roll in a sweltering Houston. Brett Burner followed with one of his four hits on the day, giving him a string of nine-straight at-bats with a base hit. Perales followed with a HBP and then an error scored a run.
Brandon Guilford pinch hit and beat out an infield single, 8-2. Another pinch hitter, Austin Blakeley followed with a 2-run single on a high chopper over the third baseman's head, 8-4.
Again, the Islanders went to the bench. It was Harrison DiNicola who singled to load the bases again. Another pinch hitter, another base hit, this time Travis Geiser roping a 2-run double inside the third base bag. The lead shrunk to 8-6.
After HBU finally recorded the first out of the inning, Deaver returned to the plate and reached on catcher's interference, once more loading the bases. Burner followed with an RBI infield single before Perales gave the Islanders the most improbable of leads with his 2-run single to left.
The emotion and energy in the Islander dugout was nearly palpable. For a season mired in frustration, it seemed one inning encompassed a release of all that frustration.
"I thought it was nice to see those guys step up," said Malone. "We had gotten a little frustrated and we spun the dugout around. We got some energy and those guys stepped up while our starters all jumped up on the top step and pushed us to a victory."
The infield single from Guilford pushed it to 10-8 Islanders before the Huskies finally ended the gigantic frame.
On the mound, Caleb Hanks produced a shutdown inning in the seventh, giving him 1 1/3 innings to pick up his first career win.
HBU pulled a run back in the bottom of the eighth as a pair of walks, sacrifice bunt and sacrifice fly produced cut the lead to 10-9.
The Islanders had an answer through as Deaver walked to open the ninth, moved to second on a passed ball and third on a fly out. A wild pitch allowed Deaver to score for the third time and make it an 11-9 game.
Garrett Harris officially worked the final two innings without allowing a base runner after Hanks walked the leadoff man and was charged with a second walk, exiting with a 3-0 count. Harris struck out one, part of a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his second save of the season.
SATURDAY SETUP
The Islanders will go for the series victory behind junior Devin Skapura on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. Last week, Skapura threw his first career complete game, earning the win over Sam Houston State.
