Strickland Pitches Hogs to Victory

KINGSVILLE, TEXAS – After losing the first game of a doubleheader 8-6 in extra innings, Texas A&M-Kingsville senior pitcher Sam Strickland did not let visiting Central Oklahoma take the second game on Friday. Strickland allowed just one run in eight innings while striking out 12 in a 5-3 Javelina victory at Nolan Ryan Field. (box score)

Strickland had a shutout going until the eighth inning when Kellin Sheets drove in a run for the Bronchos with a two-out single. Strickland allowed eight hits and just two walks while earning his second win of the season.

The Javelinas got on the board in the fourth inning when James Brown (Corpus Christ/King HS) tripled to lead off the inning and scored on Tom Miller’s (Las Vegas, NV/Sierra Vista HS) two-out single.

In the sixth inning, Travis Earles (Houston/Cy-Falls HS) led off the inning with a home run. The Javs added two more runs in the inning thanks to some sloppy defense by the Bronchos. Luis Diaz reached base on an error and Miller was walked. Two wild pitches later, Diaz scored and then Miller scored on a passed ball to make it a 4-0 game.

In the seventh inning, the Javs tacked on one more run when Clifton Thomas (San Diego, CA/El Cajon Valley HS) hit a solo home run.

The Bronchos broke the shutout in the eighth inning and closed to within 5-3 after a Luke Yost two-run homer in the ninth inning. Yost, Brent Hodge and Sheets accounted for seven of the team’s 10 hits. Kyle Head was handed the loss going 5.1 innings allowing six hits, three earned runs and two walks while striking out five batters.

The Javs also had 10 hits with Earles and Will Mettlach each getting two hits. The two teams will finish their series on Saturday with a 1 o’clock doubleheader.
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