CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi baseball team led Maryland through six and didn't relent its edge until the final inning as the Terrapins ended on top 7-5 Friday night in the Kleberg Bank College Classic at Whataburger Field.
The Islanders (3-4) had junior
Matthew Watson go for a quality start as the right hander went 6.2 innings with nine strikeouts fired before being relieved in the seventh when the team was up 4-1. However, three Maryland (4-1) runs scored that inning once Watson took his leave to tie it up. The Terrapins then matched that in the ninth to pull away late and despite a trying push in the bottom frame, the Islanders came up short.
A&M-Corpus Christi out-hit Maryland 10-9, the fourth game in a row for the Islanders to record at least 10 hits and sixth this year. Their bats have pushed them to lead the NCAA in total hits, having recorded 64 on the year prior to tonight.
Junior
Isaac Webb turned in quite the offensive performance, going 4-for-5 at the plate and scoring three of A&M-Corpus Christi's runs. He was the only Islander to post a multi-hit night and the first this season to record 4+ hits in a game.
The team entered the game ranked 13th in the NCAA with 13 doubles and juniors
Stephen Hom and
Drake Kerr will help add to that after each barreled the extra-base hit tonight.
Webb actually led off the Islanders with the first-pitch swing to center placing him on with the base hit. He would round home in the first to match Maryland's lone run in the top of the first Kerr ran home on junior
Logan Vaughan's single to the left center gap as the Islanders went up 2-1 after the first.
Webb knocked the lead-off single once again in the third before he and Kerr got into scoring position on the double steal. Junior Grant Gruell then got it through the right to send Webb home and Vaughan's sacrifice fly ball drove Kerr to home plate as the Islanders took control of a 4-1 lead.
Watson threw three more scoreless innings from there, helping the Islanders maintain the three-run lead. Though, Maryland would find a way around the starter and score the difference in the game to tie it up 4-4.
The teams remained knotted heading into the ninth and it was Maryland who broke away with another late three-run inning. Webb tried to spur the same momentum for the Islanders as he barreled the one-out single to right and Kerr kept it alive by doubling to deep left field for opportune positioning. Gruell sent it deep enough on the fly ball to drive Webb home but the Islanders couldn't make up the final two runs.
Webb and Kerr are currently 7-for-7 on recording a hit in every game this season as two of only three players to have started all seven games.
The Islanders will look to recoup before taking on Washington tomorrow at 6 p.m. for the second day of the Kleberg Bank College Classic.
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