SAN ANTONIO – The reigning Southland Conference Hitter of the Week,
Dalton Stark, stayed hot, producing three hits and scoring three times as Texas A&M-Corpus Christi rallied from a 4-0 deficit to win 5-4 in 10 innings at UIW on Friday night.
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Stark, 3-for-4, was the only Islander to record multiple hits on the night. The junior had a hand in every inning the Blue and Green scored in, earning a walk and scoring a run in the sixth, singling and scoring the tying run in the eighth and doubling and scoring the game-winner in the 10th.
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While Stark was keying the comeback,
David Worrell (2-4) made it all possible by shutting down the Cardinals through the late innings. The right-hander tossed 4 2/3 scoreless innings after entering in fifth to give the Islanders a chance. Worrell allowed just a single hit and did not walk a batter in earning the win.
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UIW (19-31, 7-18) struck first, pushing a run across in the opening frame. A walk and a single to open the night signaled trouble early as the Cardinals put runners at the corners. A double play would bring a run home but help the Islanders escape further damage.
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The Cardinals would extend the lead to 3-0 in the first as a single and RBI triple opened the frame and chased Islander starter
Dustin Lacaze. The redshirt freshman went three innings, allowing three runs on four hits and three walks.
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Chad Romere entered out of the bullpen, limiting the damage to just the inherited runner at third. Romere would run into his own trouble in the fifth as a walk, double and single scored another to make it 4-0. That's when Worrell took over and clamped down on the mound.
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Worrell immediately induced a 4-6-3 double play to end the fifth. It was the spark the Islanders needed to fight back into the game.
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The top of the sixth saw the Islanders finally get the bats going.
Dawson Yates opened the frame with a single before a hit batsman and walk loaded the bases with no outs. A bases-loaded walk for
Cullen Jozwiak pushed the first run across as the Islanders chased UIW ace John Shull.
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A double play scored another, but threatened to end the Islanders' momentum. That's when
Jackson Owens delivered a two-out RBI-single to pull the Blue and Green within one.
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Two innings later, the Islanders tied it up as Stark singled and scored on a Jozwiak double. That was enough to push the game into extras where the bases-loaded walk of
Nick Anderson on a 3-2 pitch gave the Islanders a 5-4 lead.
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Corpus Christi turned to fireman
Chris Cooper out of the bullpen, who needed just nine pitches to earn his sixth save of the season.
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SATURDAY SET
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The Islanders and Cardinals continue the series with a 3 p.m. first pitch on Saturday afternoon.
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