Baseball 3/20/2009 12:00:00 AM

Hoggies Take Two from Buffs

Clifton Thomas had a big day with four extra base hits on Friday

CANYON, TEXAS – The Texas A&M-Kingsville baseball team got their series with Lone Star Conference rival West Texas A&M off on the right foot by winning both games in a Friday doubleheader, 7-6 and 8-5. (game 1, game 2)

The Javelinas (12-16, 8-14) and Buffs (12-20, 5-17) battled back-and-forth in the first game, but it was the Hoggies coming out on top in the end. The Javs got the game started quickly by rapping out five hits and scoring twice in the first inning. Clifton Thomas (San Diego, CA/El Cajon Valley HS) started the game with a double while Travis Earles (Houston/Cy-Falls HS) and Travis Miller (Las Vegas, NV/Sierra Vista HS) each had run-scoring singles.

The Buffs responded with three runs in the bottom half of the inning off of Javelina ace pitcher Sam Strickland (Houston/Spring Woods HS). Brad Elders stroked a run-scoring triple and Rob Mann followed with an RBI double.

The Javs went back on top with two unearned runs in the top of the second inning. The Buffs reclaimed the lead on a solo home run by Elders in the fifth inning making the score 5-4.

In the top of the sixth inning, Thomas picked up his third hit of the game, a two-out, three-run home run that proved to be the game-winner.

The Buffs added a run in the bottom of the sixth to make it a 7-6 ballgame, but Strickland was able to hold them scoreless in the seventh inning to pick up a complete game victory.

Strickland improved to 3-2 on the season allowing 10 hits, five earned runs and one walk while striking out seven. Thomas just missed hitting for the cycle as he had a single, double, home run, three RBI’s and two runs scored. Will Mettlach (Halletsville/McAllen HS) went 2-for-3 with two runs scored while A.J. Hecker (Orange/Bridge City HS) was 1-for-3 with a pair of runs.

PJ Granado took the loss for the Buffs pitching all 7.0 innings allowing 12 hits, five earned runs and no walks while striking out four. Elders led the offense with a triple, home run, two RBI’s and two runs scored. Tyson Hickman went 2-for-3 with two runs batted in.

The second game was similar to the first with both teams leading at different points in the game, but the Javs scored late to pull out the victory.

Miller got the scoring started for the Hoggies in the top of the first with a two-out, two-run single scoring Robert Cox (Corpus Christi/Calallen HS) and Earles.

The Buffs responded with some help from the long ball in the first three innings of the game. Heath Baker led off the bottom of the first with a home run, Coty Wilson led off the bottom of the second with a home run and then Baker hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the third. After three innings, the Buffs led 5-1 and they almost blew open the game in the fourth when they put two runners on base and sent Javelina starting pitcher Tim Jones (Lake Jackson/Brazoswood HS) to the showers. Wes Callihan (Corpus Christi/Calallen HS) came in and got the final out of the inning for the Hoggies and would prove to be nearly unhittable the rest of the game.

The Javelinas tied the game in the sixth inning. They loaded the bases and with one out, Mettlach drew a walk to score a run. After a pitching change, Hecker hit a sacrifice fly and Thomas tied the game with a run-scoring double. The Javs took the lead in the eighth when Thomas came through with an RBI triple. They tacked on two more runs in the ninth when Philip Johnson (Malibu, CA/Malibu HS) hit a solo home run, Miller followed with a double and was brought home on Erik Gomez’s (El Paso/Socorro HS) double.

Callihan pitched superbly for the Javs allowing just one hit and one walk in 5.1 innings while striking out seven en route to earning the victory. Thomas went 2-for-5 and finished the day with a single, two doubles, a triple and a home run. Miller had one of his best games of the season going 4-for-5 with two runs and two RBI’s.

Zach Walker started the game on the mound for the Buffs and lasted 5.1 innings allowing five hits, four earned runs and five walks while striking out five in a no-decision. Brandon Hickey was tagged with the loss as he allowed three hits and one run in 2.2 innings of work.

The two teams will finish up their series with a doubleheader at 1 o’clock on Saturday.
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