CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Bringing the game back within its city limits, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi baseball team jumped out quick against Kansas but it wouldn't hold up as a five-run blooper pulled the Jayhawks away late for a 13-7 score Tuesday night at Whataburger Field.
It was a deceiving score as the Islanders (2-3) came out of the gates hot for a 4-0 start before the teams stayed within one of each other through seven. Though, it was the bottom of the eighth where Kansas (2-2) sucked all of the momentum to score five unanswered runs for the late separation.
"It was just a tough night for us. Kansas is ultra talented, every arm they kept bringing onto the mound was really talented, hard throwers, really good breaking balls, and I think our hitters really kept us into the game but it's hard to overcome a five-spot where all of the momentum goes the other way. I thought our hitters did a great job of picking that up and putting us right back in it," said head coach
Scott Malone.
Junior
Isaac Webb opened the night with a lead-off infield single to get on base early. The steal put him in opportune position while junior
Drake Kerr crept him over one more with the sacrifice bunt. Junior
Cade Sanchez then beat out the throw at first, earning himself the RBI-single as Webb found home plate for the first run of the night.
Junior
Joshua Flaugher then led off the second with a double to center before junior
Tucker McEnroe knocked the infield single that should've just advanced Flaugher to third, but a throwing error by the Kansas shortstop resulted in another Islanders run as he capitalized on the mistake. Up 2-0, sophomore
Chance Reisdorph was placed on first after taking a hit by pitch and Kerr came up big with a 2-RBI single on the pay-off pitch for a 4-0 lead.
Kansas finally settled in the bottom of the inning and posted five runs in response to reverse the score, building on its lead 6-4 after tacking on another run in the third. Though, the Islanders looked at the next frame to respond as McEnroe and Reisdorph both found their place on a base once more. Webb loaded the bases with the single up the middle and then it was Kerr again with a 2-RBI plate appearance as his swing to left field tied the game at 6-all.
Both teams tacked on another run each as they remained knotted with a 7-7 score through six. The Jayhawks scored another in the bottom of the seventh and when the Islanders didn't respond in their next side, Kansas punched its way to a five-run eighth inning to catapult ahead.
It is the first of six straight games to be played in Corpus Christi as the Islanders will now return to home base of Chapman Field tomorrow night against Texas Southern for their official home opener. First pitch will be at 6:30 p.m. and can be watched live on ESPN+.
"I thought we had a nice crowd turnout on our side for the first Tuesday night, and I thought they were into the game, and I thought we were competitive. It was an entertaining game for seven innings, but we have to find a way to finish it on the mound and that starts tomorrow against Texas Southern. They will not be worried about us; they came into Chapman Field last year and beat us so hopefully, our guys will go out and play well and get us back in the win column," said Malone.
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