CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – It seemed like a nightmare that just wouldn't end. But after watching a five-run lead turn into a three-run deficit in just two innings, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi baseball team dug down deep to find the will and the fortitude that could pay huge dividends as season races toward the finish line, beating Houston Christian 13-12 on a windy Sunday afternoon at Chapman Field.
A day after getting shellacked 17-1, and two days after giving up four runs in the final two innings to lose 6-2, the Islanders (17-23 overall, 5-7 Southland Conference) appeared ready to hand the Huskies (13-21, 6-6) some of their own medicine.
TAMU-CC jumped out to a 9-4 lead after five innings, then watched as HCU chipped away with two in the seventh before exploding for six in the eighth. The Huskies loaded the bases with no outs, then delivered four consecutive singles that scored five runs, and added a sacrifice fly to score the sixth.
Suddenly trailing 12-9 with just six outs to go, the Islanders decided enough was enough.
"I just talked to the guys after about when the game turns on you a little bit and you're not playing great, it kinda has to get really dark before it can turn around and be really bright," TAMU-CC coach
Scott Malone said. "That's exactly what happened to us today. We had to hit the bottom before the game could turn around for us and things go our way."
Things started going their way quickly, as
Drake Kerr,
Sebastian Trinidad and
Logan Vaughan all singled to open the eighth, with Trinidad's hit bringing in Kerr and pulling the Islanders to within 12-10.
Chance Reisdorph then drove in the 11th run for TAMU-CC with a sac fly to right, which brought up
Stephen Hom, who singled to center. Vaughan raced around to third on Hom's hit, and when the HCU center fielder bobbled the ball, scampered home with the tying run.
After the second out of the inning,
Christian Smith-Johnson delivered his second big hit of the day, singling through the right side to drive in Hom with the eventual winning run.
Jack Hill came on to retire the side in order for his second save of the season, and the Islanders got to breathe a sigh of relief with a much-needed win.
Maddox Thornton, despite giving up six runs (four earned) on four hits and a walk in just one inning, got his first win of the season. Starting pitcher
Zach Garcia deserved a better fate, striking out eight over six innings. The junior lefty allowed six runs (four earned) on eight hits and two walks in the no-decision.
After collecting just three runs and 10 hits in the first two games combined, the Islanders surpassed both totals by the fifth inning.
The Islanders fell behind early as Samuel Benjamin homered for the third time in the series to give HCU a 1-0 lead after one inning. But unlike the day before, the Islanders fought back and took the lead. Smith-Johnson was the catalyst with a leadoff double, and he eventually came around o score on Issac Webb's sacrifice fly. Trinidad then singled through the left side to drive in
Mason Persons, who had reached on a perfectly placed bunt single earlier in the inning.
But after HCU retook the lead with two of its own in the top of the fourth, the flip flopping continued with TAMU-CC scoring three in the bottom of the fourth.
Reisdorph reached on an error to start the inning, and after Hom walked,
Cole Modgling smoked a liner down the right-field line for a double that scored Reisdorph. Modgling went to third and Hom scored on a groundout from Smith-Johnson, then Modgling scored on a wild pitch to give the Islanders a 5-3 lead.
HCU added a run in the fifth, but TAMU-CC appeared to blow it open in the bottom of the fifth.
Trinidad and Vaughan led off with singles, then moved up to second and third on a Reisdorph sacrifice bunt. Hom then doubled to center to drive in Trinidad, and Modgling doubled again, this time to right-center, to score Vaughan and Hom. Smith-Johnson added another RBI with a single to right to score Modgling, giving the Islanders 9-4 lead.
That set the stage for the craziness that followed in the eighth inning.
"The guys faced a lot of adversity today," Malone said. "It took everybody over there. It was a good win and a tough day. It's been a tough week for us, and sometimes you've just got to ride it out and let the game turn around. Hopefully they can turn it around for us."
The Islanders collected 18 hits on the day, just one shy of their season high of 19 (set against UIW on March 24). It was the fourth time this season TAMU-CC has scored at least 13 runs, and the four total doubles hit tied a season high accomplished three other times.
Every TAMU-CC starter but one had a hit, and four different Islanders had at least three hits – Trinidad (3-for-5), Vaughan (3-for-5), Smith-Johnson (3-for-4) and Persons (3-for-4). Hom and Modgling each had a pair of hits, and Webb and Kerr each added a single.
Ironically, every starter but Webb – the leadoff hitter – scored a run, but Webb was still one of six Islanders to drive in a run. Smith-Johnson and Modgling each drove in three, while Trinidad drove in a pair.
While the Islanders can celebrate a big win now, it won't get any easier as SLC-leading Lamar comes to town next weekend for a three-game set.
"Being in the Southland Conference, your schedule never gets weak and never gets soft," Malone said. "Next week will be a big challenge."
TAMUCC (17-23, 5-7 SLC)
Friday, April 12 – vs. HCU, L (6-2)
Saturday, April 13 – vs. HCU, L (17-1)
Sunday, April 14 – vs. HCU, W (13-12)
On Deck: The Islanders next will travel to San Antonio for a midweek matchup with UTSA. The teams will play at 6 p.m. Tuesday. It will be the fourth game between the teams this season. The Islanders took 2-of-3 at home in early March, winning the first and third games 4-2 and 6-4, and losing the second game 5-4 in 12 innings.
Home again: The Islanders will return home on Friday, April 19 to begin a three-game conference series with Lamar. The teams will play at 6 p.m. Friday, 2 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.
Stay Social
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@IslandersSball) and Instagram (
islanderssball).
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