KINGSVILLE, Texas (Baseball) - The Javelinas struck for nine in the first inning and finished with 15 runs on 13 hits as Texas A&M University-Kingsville (4-3) defeated Texas College (3-12), 15-4, on Friday evening at Nolan Ryan Field.
The patient Javelinas picked their poison and recorded five walks in the opening inning and had two big innings with the nine-run first and four-run third.
Ryan Fickel began the game reaching base safely from the leadoff spot for the fourth consecutive time and with the single, extended his hitting streak to six games en route to a nine-run opening frame. The Javelinas sent 13 batters to the plate and recorded five hits with the dagger being
Jimmy Roche's bases clearing triple.
Wesley Aguilar went 3-for-4 with two runs scored from the nine-hole and Fickel went 2-for-2 with three runs and two walks.
Cline Andrews scored three runs,
Hayden Vesely went 1-for-1 with three RBI and
Clint Wallace and
Blake Johnson drove in two apiece.
Brayton Carlson's solo home run gives him two on the young season.
"With all of the hard work these guys do swinging the bats, we knew we were going to come out aggressive," said head coach
Jason Gonzales. "It's important to come out to a quick start and we will continue to work out our kinks before Lone Star Conference action begins."
Miguel Livingston fell to 0-2 on the year after going just 0.1 innings and the Javelinas improved to 2-2 against right-handed starters. Earning the win for Kingsville was right-hander
Ryan Benitez (1-1). The senior went 5.0 innings and allowed just six hits. His six strikeouts mark the third consecutive game with six or more punchouts.
The Steers put a run on the scoreboard in the second but Benitez settled down to leave the bases stranded.
The Hogs added four in the bottom of the third on a two-run double by Vesely and RBI singles by Wallace and Johnson. Through the first third of the contest, Texas A&M-Kingsville led 13-1.
TC tacked on its second run of the game in the fourth on a single to left center field.
A defensive substitution in the top of the fifth, Carlson led off the bottom frame with a solo blast to left, his second home run of the season, to give the Hogs a 14-2 lead.
Mitchell Bro entered the game in the sixth inning for his first appearance of the season and threw 2.0 innings.
Two Steers came around to score in the sixth to make it a 14-4 ballgame.
A Javelina runner scored in the sixth as the game ended after 6.5 with TAMUK taking game on, 15-4. The 15 runs were the most scored in a game since last season's 15-4 win at Eastern New Mexico (March 15) and the most runs scored at Nolan Ryan Field since Feb. 22, 2014 against Texas College.
For the Steers, the one-two punch at the top of the order combined to go 4-of-6 with Anthony Lehman driving in two in the loss.
The series concludes tomorrow afternoon with a twin bill set to begin at 1 p.m. Live stats will be available and can be accessed by visiting JavelinaAthletics.com.
For full coverage of Texas A&M-Kingsville baseball, please follow @TAMUKBaseball14 and @Javelinasdotcom on Twitter and @JavelinaAthletics on Instagram, like our Facebook page (Javelina Nation), and subscribe to our YouTube channel, Javelina Athletics.
