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KINGSVILLE, Texas (Baseball) – The 2014 Lone Star Conference championship team returned to receive their rings and witness the 2015 squad take its home-opening series on Saturday as No. 21/19 Texas A&M University-Kingsville (3-3) improved to 3-3 with a 8-7 win over Newman University (3-3) at Nolan Ryan Field.
 
Hayden James (1-1) settled down after a rough opening inning to go 5.0 innings for his first win of the season. James allowed just two hits and struck out a Jet. Dylan Porter (1-1) was charged with the loss after giving up eight runs – three earned – and eight hits in 3.0 innings. Ryan Scott shut the door in the ninth for his second save of the season and 16^th of his career, tying Juan Obregon for second on the all-time saves list in school history.
 
Newman added a run to begin the game on a fielding error, but the Javelinas answered back with a run in the bottom of the first after Ryan Fickel led off the frame with a ground rule double. A double by Cline Andrews drove in Fickel and tied the game at 1-1.
 
Continuing the trend, Hayden Vesely led off the second with an opposite field single and Clint Wallace found a hole to put the leadoff runners on first and second. After advancing on a sacrifice bunt by JP Phillips, Wesley Aguilar's speed allowed the short stop to reach safely on an infield single that scored Vesley, giving the Javelinas a 2-1 lead. A critical error blew the game open, allowing the Javelinas to put up a five-spot in the inning and a 6-1 edge. Andrews added an RBI single in the inning.
 
The Jets tacked on five runs on four hits in the seventh to crawl back into the game, 8-6, and have the tying run on first.
 
Blake Johnson registered a pinch hit single for the third consecutive game.
 
Weston Silverberg threw a scoreless eighth and Scott closed it out to earn the save. A combined 12 pitchers appeared in Saturday's game. Andrews went 2-for-3 with three RBI and Wallace, Fickel and Aguilar each recorded two hits.
 
The Javelinas return to the diamond on Friday, Feb. 20 at 6 p.m. to host Texas College.
 
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