KINGSVILLE, TEXAS – After splitting two games on Friday, the Texas A&M-Kingsville baseball team swept two games from Lone Star Conference rival East Central University on Saturday, 8-1 and 12-5 at Nolan Ryan Field. (Game 1, Game 2)

GAME 1
In his first career start on the mound, Javelina (4-2, 3-1) freshman righty Chris Brown (Humble/Nimitz HS) pitched a gem allowing just one run in a complete game victory.  He allowed five hits without walking a batter and struck out six in his 7.0 innings of work.

The Javelina offense got things going early as they scored four runs in the first inning.  Thomas Miller (Las Vegas, NV/Western Nevada) doubled home one of the runs and Adrian Williams (Victoria/Memorial HS) drove in two with an opposite field single.

The Hoggies kept things going in the second inning when they manufactured a pair of runs.  With two outs, Clifton Thomas (San Diego, CA/El Cajon Valley HS) bunted for a hit and then stole second and third base.  James Brown (Corpus Christi/San Jacinto JC) followed with a single and stole second to put runners on second and third.  Travis Earles (Houston/Blinn JC) came through with a two-run single to shallow centerfield.

The Tigers (1-5, 1-3) got their only run in the top of the fifth inning when Tyler Gillum stroked a home run over the leftfield wall.

The Javelinas came right back in the bottom of the fifth inning with two more runs.  After one out, Williams and Brandon Rohr (Anaheim, CA/Cypress College) hit back-to-back singles.  Luis Diaz (Santa Ana, CA/Cypress College) drove in a run with a bloop single to center and then Erik Gomez drove in the final run with a slow roller to the first baseman.

After giving up the home run, Brown retired eight of the final 10 batters he faced.  The Javelinas pounded out 13 hits in the contest.  Earles led the way with a 3-for-3 performance with two RBI’s while Miller went 2-for-3 with an RBI and two doubles.  Brown and Williams each had two hits with Brown scoring twice and Williams driving in two.

The Tigers had only five hits with Jared Owen picking up two of them.  Randell Shrouder pitched 4.1 innings allowing 10 hits, eight runs and three walks in a losing effort.

GAME 2
The Tigers wasted no time in sending Javelina starting pitcher Keith Kieschnick (Bay City/Bay City HS) to the showers.  They tagged Keischnick for four hits, four runs and two walks in 1.1 innings.  They played “Small Ball” in the first two innings using a sacrifice fly, sacrifice bunt and squeeze bunt to score their runs.

It appeared like it might be déjà vu for the Javelinas who had let the Tigers score early in the second game on Friday en route to a loss, but this time the Hoggie offense responded.   In the bottom of the second, Luis Diaz got the team on the board with an RBI single.  In the third inning, the Javelinas took the lead when they put a crooked number on the scoreboard.

Clifton Thomas led off the third with a hustling double to short centerfield.  James Brown reached base on a hit by pitch and then both moved up a base on Travis Earles sacrifice bunt.  Philip Johnson hit a routine grounder to shortstop that brought home a run, but also put him on base when the ball was muffed.  That error kept the inning alive and the Javs made the Tigers pay for it.  Diaz drove in two runs with a two-out single to strike the biggest blow.

The Tigers tied the score at 5-5 in the top of the fourth inning when Travis Gillum came up clutch with a two-out run-scoring single, but that would be it for the Tiger offense.

The Javelinas added one run in the fifth inning and five in the sixth that would put the game away.  They tacked on another run in the seventh for good measure.  Diaz went 4-for-5 with five RBI’s while Thomas Miller went 3-for-3 with three runs scored, an RBI and a double.  Johnson was 2-for-5 with three runs and two RBI’s.  In all, the Hoggies had 14 hits and six walks.

Ryan Torres (Porter/Blinn JC) picked up his first career victory for the Javelinas pitching 4.0 strong innings of relief.  He allowed four hits, no runs and no walks while striking out six batters.  Will Mettlach (Hallettsville/McAllen HS) pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless relief to close out the game.

Gillum led the Tiger offense with a 2-for-3 performance that included two RBI’s and a run scored.  Lucas Armenta and Ryan Estes each had two hits in the game.  Wesley Hagar was tagged with the loss on the mound going 4.1 innings while allowing six hits, six runs, two earned runs and two walks while striking out three.  Trey Robberson pitched a scoreless inning of relief as well.

The Javelinas are back in action on Tuesday night at home against University of the Incarnate Word at 6 o’clock.
####
pr09058-smm