ABILENE, TEXAS – Zach Pettiford (San Diego, CA/Patrick Henry HS) picked up right where the rest of the Texas A&M-Kingsville starting pitchers left off on Sunday with a solid outing at Abilene Christian in a 3-1 win to even up the season series.
In the first three games of the Lone Star Conference series, the Javelina (15-7, 4-4) starting pitchers did not allow a run in 19.1 innings. Pettiford allowed a first inning run, but was able to work out of trouble the rest of the afternoon scattering seven hits and three walks over 5.0 innings to improve to 2-0 on the year. Freshman Cole Foster (Katy/Taylor HS) followed Pettiford with 3.0 scoreless inning of relief allowing one hit and one walk while striking out three.
Javelina senior closer Cameron Dullnig (San Antonio/Clark HS) entered the game in the ninth inning and hammered down his fifth save of the season, but not without some effort. He hit the first batter he faced and then gave up a one-out double to put runners on second and third. He was able to retire the final two batters of the game with a strikeout and a line out.
The Javelina offense was limited to four hits in the game by Aaron Lambrix who pitched a complete game for the Wildcats (16-13, 4-4). Ben Villafuerte (Corpus Christi/Carroll HS) led off the game with a double and came around to score on Taylor Taska’s (Kingwood/Kingwood HS) base hit.
In the fourth inning, Trent Wagner (Victoria/Memorial HS) led off with an infield single. Dullnig followed with a sacrifice bunt that was thrown wild by Lambrix allowing Wagner to score. After another sacrifice bunt put Dullnig on third base, James Black (Spring/Klein Collins HS) grounded out to bring him in.
Lambrix retired 15 of the last 16 batters he faced. He allowed one walk and struck out seven and was unlucky to be charged with the loss.
The Wildcats had nine hits in the game as Tyler Eager, Kyle Conwell and Rodge Macy each had two safeties, but they could not get the key hit to score runs.
The Javelinas are back in action on Friday at LSC rival Tarleton State for the first of four games.
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