CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas -- The Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi baseball program (12-7-0, 2-1 Southland) worked back into the win column with a non-conference victory over visiting UMass (4-5-0, 0-0 A-10), locking up a 12-9 decision against the Minutemen on Wednesday evening at Chapman Field. Despite initially falling behind by a four-run margin, the Islanders offense kicked into gear in the third, fifth and seventh frames, pushing 10 runners home before relief pitching sealed the eventual three-run win.
KEY INNINGS
Top | 3rd
- After picking up three runs in the second, UMass notched one more in the third behind an RBI single, grabbing an early 4-0 advantage.
Bottom | 3rd
-
Cole Fluta got things going at the bottom of the order, drilling a pitch up the middle for a one-out single. During the ensuing at-bat,
Enrique Sanchez Jr. absorbed a pitch to his left shoulder, pushing Fluta to second and taking his spot at first.
- Junior
Itchy Burts worked the UMass pitcher before pinpointing a ball into the right-field gap, scoring both Fluta and Sanchez Jr. before careening into second for a stand-up double.
- Not to be outdone, senior
Nick Anderson followed up Burts with a triple down the right-field line, escorting the latter home with ease and cutting the Minutemen lead down to just one run.
- Two at-bats later,
Trevor Beard posted a double of his own, easily scoring Anderson and knotting the score at 4-4 .
Top | 4th
- Massachusetts managed to regain their edge on the scoreboard a half-inning later, picking up one run on a sacrifice fly and another on an RBI double for a 6-4 advantage.
Bottom | 5th
- After Sanchez Jr. reached on an error by the third baseman, Burts advanced him to third with a well-placed single into center field. The latter set himself up in scoring position during the ensuing at-bat, stealing second with relative ease.
- Following an Anderson groundout, Sanchez Jr. and Burts each moved up one base on a wild pitch, pulling the Minutemen lead back down to just one.
- Osborn sent a chopper to the up the middle on the next AB, reaching on a fielder's choice as the UMass pitcher opted to catch Burts at home.
- After a Beard walk pushed Osborn to second, both
Mike Williams and
Andriud Martinez secured RBI singles up the middle gap, granting the Islanders their first (and final) lead of the night at 7-6. The Williams hit also extended the junior's 11-game hit streak, a team-best on the season.
Bottom | 7th
- The Williams/Martinez show continued later in the seventh frame, as the former opened with a triple before the latter sent him home behind an RBI single into right field.
- Following a Martinez stolen base, his first of the year, senior
Thomas Jeffries IV notched an RBI single of his own, advancing to second on the throw home as he pushed the Blue & Green advantage up to a 9-6 edge.
-
Steven Rivera-Chijin subbed in for Fluta at the nine hole, earning a crucial sacrifice fly to help the Islanders to a 10-6 lead, their largest of the night.
Top | 9th
- After the Minutemen earned a two-run homer in the eighth, Williams posted a couple insurance runs during the Islanders' at-bat later in the frame, this time sending two runners home as the lead balloned back to four.
- UMass concluded the scoring two outs deep into the ninth, picking up one run on a sacrifice fly before reliever
David Worrell struck out the final batter.
ON THE MOUND
- Freshman
Tyler Miller earned yet-another midweek start for the Islanders, this time working through 1.2 frames with three runs allowed on two hits and four walks. The right-handed freshman took a seat with the bases loaded as senior
Dylan Duarte took over on the hill. The southpaw gave up three runs of his own through 2.1 innings, surrendering four hits with three strikeouts.
- Sophomore
Zach Rumfield (2-0) opened the fifth for the Blue & Green and pushed through 3.0 frames, good for his best performance this season. The right-handed ace retired five batters on strikes while giving up no runs and zero hits with just two walks. Fellow sophomore
John Gaddis gave up just one run on four walks as he tossed the entire eighth inning before Worrell closed out the ninth with one strikeout and no hits allowed, grabbing his first save of the year.
COMING UP NEXT
With the pair of midweek contests concluded, the Islanders return to Southland action in their first conference home series, hosting Abilene Christian in a three-game set running from Friday, Mar. 15 through Sunday, Mar. 17.
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-- Go Islanders --
