CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Entering the bottom of the sixth inning, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi baseball team trailed Northwestern State by six runs, but before the frame came to a close, the Islanders struck back with the best offensive inning this season.
The Blue and Green (9-15, 2-4) topped the Demons (6-16, 2-4) to clinch its first Southland series of the year after scoring eight runs on six hits and five walks in the sixth.
Scott Balfantz was the catalyst for the Islanders at the plate. The Irving native went 4-for-5, including a pair of doubles, with a team season-high four RBI.
Nick Anderson doubled and homered in his first two at-bats, en route to a 2-for-3 day with three RBI.
Cam Boudreaux and
Brett Burner chipped in with two and three RBI, respectively.
Corpus Christi matched its season high with 14 runs, while utilizing seven free passes issued by the Northwestern State staff.
Chad Romere (1-0) came out of the bullpen to throw three innings of two-hit ball to earn the win. Starting pitcher
Chris Glover took the no-decision after 2 1/3 innings of work, allowing five earned runs with three strikeouts.
Chris Cooper went 2 2/3 innings and gave up three runs on three hits.
David Worrell capped the contest in the ninth with three strikeouts.
Anderson put the Blue and Green ahead in the first with an RBI double to score
Cullen Jozwiak from second.
Glover faced the minimum through seven batters, before the Demons put up seven runs in the third inning. Northwestern State scored on a single, a pair of bases-loaded walks and a grand slam by Hunter Uzzle.
In the bottom of the fourth, Anderson unleashed a first-pitch homer over the wall in center to cut the deficit to five, before Matthew Alford gave the visitors an 8-2 lead on a double in the fourth.
The Islanders mounted their comeback in the sixth, nearly rolling through the lineup twice. Burner singled to right center to score Dalton Start from second.
Harrison DiNicola made his final contribution to the game with an RBI single during the next at-bat, as
Itchy Burts came in to pinch run.
Following a Boudreaux RBI single to make it 8-5, Burts flew in from second on a Balfantz two-RBI single to shallow right field.
Dawson Yates' only hit of the afternoon came on the next at-bat with a liner to right to plate Balfantz from second.
Corpus Christi took the lead for good when Anderson and Burner walked with the bases loaded during their second time through the order to put the Islanders ahead 10-8.
Northwestern State pulled one back in the seventh with a solo home run from David Fry, but Balfantz gave the Islanders some breathing room as he laced a first-pitch double down the left field line and brought in Boudreaux from second.
Boudreaux and Balfantz put the game out of reach for the Demons in the eighth with back-to-back RBI singles, with Stark and
Luke Marbach coming home.
In the ninth after giving up two singles, Worrell wrapped up the game with his third swinging punchout in the inning.
For Northwestern State, Austin Reich (0-1) came on in the sixth with the game tied, but failed to record an out while giving up the go-ahead runs. Stater Evan Tidwell lasted 5 2/3 innings before coming out with eight earned runs on nine hits with one strikeout.
TUESDAY vs. TEXAS
The Islanders will face the Texas Longhorns on Tuesday, March 28th, at 6:30 p.m. at Whataburger Field. Tickets are still available and can be purchased through the Corpus Christi Hooks Box Office at
cchooks.com.
THE WEEK AHEAD
Following the Texas game on Tuesday, the Blue and Green will travel to Houston-Victoria on Wednesday for a midweek clash, before the long road trip to New Orleans for the weekend Southland Series.
