CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Texas A&M-Corpus Christi loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, but UTRGV held the Islanders off the board as the Vaqueros spoiled the final home event of the South Texas Showdown presented by NavyArmy Community Credit Union with a 4-3 win Tuesday night.
UTRGV (21-19) scored an unearned marker in the top of the ninth to break a 3-3 deadlock before escaping the bases loaded jam in the bottom half.
Dalton Stark went 3-for-5 with an RBI to lead the Islanders, but could not find the final hit needed as he rolled into a fielder's choice to end the game.
Luke Marbach, 2-for-4, and
Cam Boudreaux, 2-for-3, joined Stark with multi-hit nights.
The Islanders (13-24) jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first on just one hit. A walk and hit-by-pitch started the inning for the Blue and Green before a fielder's choice and throwing error allowed the first run to score. Stark's RBI-single scored
Dawson Yates, making the lead 2-0.
Three singles in the next half-inning pulled a run back for UTRGV, but starter
Brian Allec was able to limit the damage by stranding a pair.
A&M-Corpus Christi returned the favor in the bottom of the second.
Brian Deaver drew a leadoff walk and moved to third on a walk and throwing error from the Vaquero catcher.
Cam Boudreaux plated Deaver by shooting a single through the left side of the infield to extend the advantage to 3-1.
UTRGV pulled one back in the fifth before tying the game in the sixth. In a spat of tough luck for the Islanders, the Vaqueros' tying run scored on a pop-fly to right that was lost in the lights. The ball landed safely, leading to a run-scoring triple.
The 3-3 deadlock would hold until the ninth, when UTRGV manufactured a run without the benefit of a hit. After a leadoff walk, reliever
David Worrell (1-4) committed a throwing error on a sac bunt, putting runners at the corners with no outs. A ground ball up the middle resulted in a fielder's choice, but was plenty to score the game's eventual winning run.
Corpus Christi mounted a furious ninth-inning rally, sparked by back-to-back singles from
Lukas Hermanson and
Jackson Owens. With two aboard and no one out, the Islanders appeared in prime position to at least level the game. After a pop out,
Luke Marbach roasted a single to right, but the ball proved too well hit to score the tying run from second.
With bases loaded and one out, UTRGV's Connor Grant fanned one and induced a ground ball to end the game.
The Islanders return to action at Chapman Field this weekend as Stephen F. Austin comes to the Coastal Bend for a three-game set. First pitch Friday night is set for 6 p.m.
– #GoDers –
