CANYON, TEXAS – The Texas A&M-Kingsville baseball team got their Lone Star Conference series at #22 West Texas A&M off to a good start on Friday night with an 8-5 win at Wilder Park.

Junior first baseman James Wallace (Corpus Christi/Tuloso-Midway HS) hit a pair of home runs and drove in four runs to lead the Javelinas (23-9, 11-6) to an important win. He hit a solo home run in the second inning, a two-run homer in the seventh inning and drove in an insurance run in the ninth inning with a single.
The #25 Javelinas jumped out to an early lead scoring three times in the first inning and once more in the second. Trent Wagner (Victoria/Memorial HS) and Jake Mendiola (Kingsville/Richland Northeast HS) each had RBI doubles and scored in the first.

The Buffalos (24-11, 11-6) scored unearned runs in the first and second innings off Javelina ace Jaden Dillon (Bridge City/Bridge City HS). Over the next three innings they would leave seven runners on base without scoring a run. Dillon was able to escape the middle innings thanks to some timely strikeouts and a pair of double play balls.

The Javelinas tacked on three runs in the top of the seventh, but the Buffs came right back. After Dillon recorded the first out, he gave up a pair of singles and a walk to load the bases. WT scored three times after the next two batters got base hits off the Javelina relief corp.

The Buffalos threatened to tie the game in the eighth inning. They had runners on first and second with one out, but Denver Diefenbach (Victoria/St. Joseph’s HS) was able to get a pair of pop ups to end the inning.

The Javs added a run in the ninth inning and then Cameron Dullnig (San Antonio/Clark HS) closed out the game with a 1-2-3 inning to earn his eighth save of the year.

Dillon improved to 7-0 on the season after allowing 10 hits, three earned runs and four walks while striking out 9. Ben Villafuerte (Corpus Christi/Carroll HS), Mendiola and Dullnig each had two hits.

Pulley took the loss for the Buffs after allowing seven hits, four runs and three walks in 6.0 innings while striking out one. Jordan Easom had two hits and scored two runs to lead the offense.

The teams will play a doubleheader on Saturday starting at 4 p.m.
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