Baseball rally comes up short in UTA series finale, 10-9

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas -- The Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi baseball program (2-2, 0-0 Southland) was unable to complete a late comeback bid in the team's final game against UT-Arlington (2-2, 0-0 Sun Belt), faltering by a 10-9 margin to the Mavericks on Monday afternoon at Chapman Field. Despite falling behind by five in the fifth inning, the Islanders battled back with one run in the sixth and five more in the seventh, jumping out to a one-score advantage. A UTA home run in the eighth frame knotted the score at 9-9, and the Mavericks managed to secure the victory with a second homer in the 10th.

KEY INNINGS
Bottom | 2nd
- Following a back-and-forth opening two frames (two Maverick lead changes and a tie), the Islanders earned their first run advantage of the day off back-to-back singles from junior Itchy Burts and senior Enrique Sanchez Jr.

Top | 3rd
- The Mavericks quickly evened the score back at the three apiece to open the third, posting a pair of doubles from their leadoff hitters.
- Following a pair of hit-by-pitches loaded the bases, a single through the right side added two more runs and reestablished the lead, now at 5-3.
- Despite the Islanders subbing Cody LeCompte in for starter Hayden Thomas, UTA managed one more run behind a well-hit single into shallow left field, securing the lead at 6-3.

Bottom | 7th
- With the Blue & Green now trailing 8-3 following another pair of Mavericks runs in the sixth, the Islander offense roared the life. Sanchez got things going at leadoff, initially walking but advancing to third following a particularly nasty wild pitch.
- Junior Joey Werner opted the bring Sanchez in on the next at-bat, shooting a single into left field for one run and a four-score deficit.
- Senior Nick Anderson jacked a double through the left gap to push Werner onto third, and a single from senior Thomas Jeffries IV notched another run for the Islanders.
- Despite a Mavericks' adjustment on the mound, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi managed to score one run on each of the next three at-bats, grabbing a 9-8 edge entering the final two frames.

Top | 8th
- The Mavericks proceeded to respond immediately following the Islanders' offensive resurgence, knotting the score at 9-9 with a deep home run over the right-field fence.

Top | 10th
- After entering extra frames, the UTA offense seemed nearly out of gas until Renning carried a 3-2 pitch over the left-field wall, a run that would eventually seal the Maverick victory.

ON THE MOUND
- Freshman Hayden Thomas notched his collegiate debut as he made the start for the Islanders, striking out two across 2.0 innings of work with six runs allowed on six hits.
- Senior Cody LeCompte served as the initial relief, tossing a game-high 3.0 innings with a team-best four strikeouts. The southpaw surrendered two runs on three hits, but only gave up one extra-base swing on the day (a double).
- Sophomores Payton Bauer and John Gaddis, along with true freshman Steven Vejil, each posted 1.2 frames of action, combining for five strikeouts with just two runs surrendered on four hits.

COMING UP NEXT
With the season-opening series with UT-Arlington concluded, the Islanders gear up for their first road trip of the year, traveling to San Antonio, Texas, to face UTSA at 6 p.m. on Tuesday evening.

STAY SOCIAL
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