WARRENSBURG, MISSOURI – The Texas A&M-Kingsville baseball team saw its season come to an end on Friday afternoon in a 10-5 loss to NCAA Division II South Central Region host Central Missouri. The Javelinas finished the year 31-18 while the Mules improved to 45-8.
The Javelinas were plagued by poor defense throughout the game with six errors that led to six unearned runs. The Mules only had one extra-base hit in the game, but did add 12 singles to their tally on offense.
For the second straight day, the Javelinas put runs on the board in the first inning. Adam Aspaas (San Marcos, CA/Mission Hills HS) got through a scoreless top of the first inning on the mound and then Jake Mendiola (Kingsville/Richland Northeast HS) drove in two runs with a one-out single in the bottom half of the inning.
The Mules got on the board with three runs in the top of the second inning. After the leadoff batter struck out the next four hitters all reached base. They tied the game on a two-run single by Jon Cotter and took a lead on a two-out single by MIAA Player of the Year Bret Schwartz.
After a strong first inning, the Javelinas could not muster much offense against Lee Stoppelman who allowed just three hits and two walks over the next six innings. During that time, the Mules scored a pair of unearned runs in the fifth inning and another insurance run in the sixth to take a 6-2 lead.
In the top of the eighth inning, the Mules took advantage of another Javelina error. Ben Cox made the Hogs pay with a two-out, two-run single.
The Javelinas finally got something going in the bottom of the eighth inning. Stoppelman gave up a walk and a hit before being removed. Mendiola greeted the relief pitcher Dane Krone with a run-scoring single.
The Mules added two more runs in the ninth inning. The Javelina rallied in the ninth scoring a pair of runs with two outs, but it proved to be too little to threaten the Mules.
Aspaas took the loss for the Javs after tossing 4.0 innings. Dustin Aguilar (San Antonio/Churchill HS), Mendiola and Taylor Taska (Kingwood/Kingwood HS) were the offensive players of the game for the team. Aguilar had a single, two walks and scored three times. Taska went 3-for-4 with an RBI. Mendiola finished with two hits and three RBI’s giving him a team-high 39 on the season.
Stoppelman improved to 10-0 on the season for the Mules. Jordan Coons went 2-for-4 at the plate and scored four runs. Five other players had two hits in the game, including Cox and Cotter who each had two hits and two RBI’s.
The Javelinas finished the season as only the third team in school history to play in an NCAA Division II Regional tournament.
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