Dinicola Grand Slam Secures Opening Day Win

Box Score

ARLINGTON, Texas - Texas A&M-Corpus Christi moves to 1-0 this Friday after winning their season opener at UT-Arlington by a count of 9-7. The Islanders were boosted by 12 hits on the day, including a game-winning grand slam from junior Harrison DiNicola and four multi-hit performances overall. 

The visiting Blue and Green jumped on the Mavericks early, with a trio of runs off of three knocks in the opening frame. After a walk from leadoff-hitter Luke Marbach, outfielders Nick Anderson and Dalton Stark would hit back-to-back singles to load the bases. Jackson Owens would drive in Marbach on a fielder's choice, while starting leftfielder Thomas Jeffries recorded a two-RBI double down the left field line, in his first at-bat as an Islander.

Corpus Christi would add on another two runs in the fifth to make it 5-0, thanks to a Harrison DiNicola double and a wild pitch from UTA starter Trae Patterson. The Mavericks would pull back three runs in the latter half of the frame however, and a two-run eighth would insure that the Islanders and Mavs would take a 5-5 tie into the final inning of play.

After a popout in foul territory to lead off the inning, freshman Steven Rivera-Chijin would get the line moving with a single to center in the next at-bat. A pair of knocks from Drake Osborn and Marbach would provide Dinicola with a bases loaded situation and the opportunity to play hero in the first game of the year. The junior from Kemah, Texas wouldn't disappoint, with a high-hanging fly ball finding its way over the right field wall for the Islanders first grand slam since former Corpus Christi's Dawson Yates launched one against Abilene Christian last year.

With a four-run cushion in play, righty reliever Chris Cooper would hold the hosts to two runs in the ninth and secure a 9-7 victory for Coach Malone's side. Senior Cole Carter would earn the winning decision after coming in relief during the seventh, as the Islanders' pitching staff totaled five strikeouts on the afternoon. Starting right-hander Dustin Lacaze would account for four of those Ks, and tying a personal career-high.

• Eight Islanders registered a hit on Friday, with Dinicola, Anderson, Rivera and Osborn each tallying a pair of knocks
• The Blue and Green's win marks their second straight win on opening day, coming out on top in three of their last four opening contests
• Dinicola's five RBI are a career-high, while Jeffries drove in two of his own in his first game as a member of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
• The Islanders chased Second Team All-Sun Belt ace Trae Patterson from the contest after just five innings pitched, forcing the righty to give up five earned runs on eight hits during that span
• Corpus Christi forced the Mavs to leave nine runners on base this Friday, with Rivera and Andriud Martinez turning a pair of double plays

COMING UP NEXT
The Islanders get back to work against UT-Arlington in Game 2 of the pair's three-games series, with a pitching matchup slated between the Blue and Green's Aaron Hernandez and UTA's Ka'ikepono Anderson. Hernandez returns to the Corpus Christi rotation after a year's hiatus, returning for his second bout with the Mavericks all-time.

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