KINGSVILLE, TEXAS – Texas A&M-Kingsville baseball team split with the University of Houston-Victoria at Nolan Ryan field in a doubleheader as a part of a three-game series that will be completed Saturday in Victoria.
In the first game of the doubleheader, which was nine innings, the Javelinas took an early 1-0 lead in the third when Matthew Perez (Stevensville, MT/Home School) brought in Ben Villafuerte (Corpus Christ/Carroll HS) with a single to centerfield. Villafuerte singled earlier in the inning, advanced to second on a throwing error, then stole third. Villafuerte would finish the game hitting 3-4, but his run ended up being the last for the Javelinas.
After throwing four scoreless innings, Clay Stephens (Houston/Bellaire HS) got caught in the fifth. Tyler Steiner started off the inning with a double and was brought in by Juan Solis to tie the game. Then, with a runner on, Creighton Hoke hit a homerun to left field to put the Jaguars ahead, 3-1. They would never relinquish the lead after that point. They rode the arm of Cory Carter (1-1) through eight innings and scored one more in the eighth to clinch the 5-1 victory.
In the second game, a seven-inning contest, the Javelina bats immediately erupted. Joe Tallerine (Industrial/Bellville HS) led off the game with a hit and was eventually brought in by Trent Wagner’s (Victoria/Memorial HS) sacrifice fly to center after advancing to third off two walks. Jake Mendiola (Kingsville/Richland Northeast HS) followed up Wagner with a two-run double to put the Javelinas up 3-0. Mendiola would make his way home off a pair of wild pitches to put the Hogs up by four. Taylor Taska (Kingwood/Kingwood HS) followed with an RBI single to put the lead at five. The Jaguars proceeded to pull starting pitcher Zack Moya and finally got out of the inning behind the arm of Brayden Blanton.
The run-heavy start to the game was not a sign of things to come as there would only be two scored the rest of the way. The Javelinas established a 6-0 lead in the fifth after Cameron Dullnig (San Antonio/Clark HS), who was 2-for-2 in the game, scored on a wild pitch. The Javelinas six runs came on six hits.
The Jaguars built some momentum to start the seventh as relief pitcher Taylor Taska walked the bases loaded. Ryan Suescun’s RBI-single gave the Jaguars their first run of the game, but Taska managed to get out of the jam without any further damage done. Zachary Pettiford (San Diego, CA/Patrick Henry HS) picked up the victory after shutting out the Jaguars through the first five innings. He allowed three hits and one walk while striking out six to earn his first victory in a Javelina uniform.
After Friday’s outings, the Jaguars are now 3-3 while the Javelinas are 2-1. The series will conclude tomorrow at 4 p.m. at Riverside Stadium in Victoria.
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