Javs Drop First Game

KINGSVILLE, TEXAS – The Texas A&M-Kingsville baseball team dropped an extra-inning game to visiting Lone Star Conference rival University of Central Oklahoma on Friday, 8-6 in eight innings at Nolan Ryan Field. (box score)

The Javelinas (6-11, 4-9) and Bronchos (7-8, 6-7) battled back-and-forth throughout the game, but it was Luke Yost’s two-run homer in the top of the eighth inning that proved to be the difference.

The Hoggies jumped out to an early 2-0 lead when Clifton Thomas (San Diego, CA/El Cajon Valley HS) and James Brown (Corpus Christi/King HS) started the first inning with back-to-back singles. They would both score on Travis Earles’ (Houston/Cy-Falls HS) single.

The lead was short-lived as the Bronchos tied the score in the second inning without aid of a hit or an error. Two walks, a hit batter, one wild pitch and a sacrifice fly was all they needed to tie the game. The Javs came right back with two more runs in the second inning with Will Mettlach’s (Halletsville/McAllen HS) run-scoring double being the big blow.

Over the middle innings, the Bronchos would lay claim to the lead for the first time. Yost hit a bases loaded double scoring all three runners in the fourth inning to take the lead. UCO would tack on another run in the fifth and held a 6-4 lead heading into the bottom of the fifth inning.

With two outs and one man on base in the bottom of the fifth inning, Earles cracked a two-run homer to tie the game. In the seventh inning, the Javs had a chance to win the game when they loaded the bases with two outs, but were unable to come up with the big hit.

Yost made the Hoggies pay in the eighth with his homer to cap a 4-for-4 game at the plate that included five RBI’s, a double and stolen base. Brian Murphy pitched all 8.0 innings to pick up the win. He allowed nine hits and walked four while striking out eight batters.

Earles led the Javelina offense with two hits and four RBI’s while Thomas added two hits and two stolen bases. Steven Hooker (Houston/Spring Woods HS) was tagged with the loss after pitching 2.0 innings in relief. He allowed two hits, two runs and one walk while striking out three batters.
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