KINGSVILLE, TEXAS – The Texas A&M-Kingsville baseball opened the 2012 season with a victory thanks to some great pitching and timely hitting, 5-3 over visiting St. Edward’s at Nolan Ryan Field on Tuesday night.

The Javelinas (1-0) received an outstanding pitching performance from senior right-hander Adam Aspaas (San Marcos, CA/Grossmont College). He came on in relief in the fifth inning with the team trailing 3-0 and quickly got out of a jam with an inning ending double play on his second pitch. In the sixth inning he hit a pair of batters, but then retired eight straight hitters before giving up a single in the ninth. He closed out the game by inducing another double play and sent the fans home happy.

The game was played in a brisk 2:26 minutes with each team getting only five hits. Javelina starting pitcher Jaden Dillon (Bridge City/McNeese State) and Hilltopper (1-2) starter Jeff Rohrbach each breezed through the first two innings. In the bottom of the third the Javs threatened to score after Trent Wagner (Victoria/Memorial HS) led off with a triple, but they could not bring in the run.

The Hilltoppers took the lead in the top of the fourth by playing a little small ball with a squeeze bunt by Ransom LaLonde bringing in the first run of the game. On the very next pitch, Marshall Burford played long ball hitting a two-run homer to make it 3-0.

The score stayed that way until the bottom of the fifth when St. Edward’s brought in Brad Nasis to pitch. He walked the first batter he faced and then Ben Villafuerte (Corpus Christi/ Carroll HS) smacked a one-out double to put runners on second and third. Cameron Dullnig (San Antonio/Western Carolina) followed with a two-run single just inside the first base line.

The Javelinas took the lead in the bottom of the seventh inning. James Black (Spring/Hill JC) tied the game with a one-out double and later scored when the catcher tried to pick him off third base. In the eighth, the team tacked on another run when Dustin Aguilar (San Antonio/Churchill HS) pinch ran for Jake Mendiola (Kingsville/USC Sumter). He stole second, advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a wild pitch.

Aspaas picked up the win for the Javelinas tossing 4.2 of 1-hit ball while striking out three and not allowing a walk. Dillon gave up four hits and three runs while walking one and striking out five in 4.1 innings.

Nasis was tagged with the loss for the HIlltoppers. Rohrbach went 4.0 innings and allowed just one hit while striking out four.

The Javelinas are back in action on Friday at home in a doubleheader against UH-Victoria at 3 p.m.
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