KINGSVILLE, Texas (Baseball) – Ryan Benitez was brilliant in a career best performance but the Javelinas were handed a scare at the hands of a three-run, ninth inning rally by the Greyhounds. Despite the late runs, Texas A&M University-Kingsville (12-7, 6-2 LSC) escaped Nolan Ryan Field Saturday with a game one victory, 4-3, over Eastern New Mexico University (5-11, 1-4 LSC).
Benitez (3-1) earned the win after striking out 12 in 8.1 innings for his second consecutive start. The senior allowed just six hits and gave up two runs. James Gray (0-3) fell to 0-3 on the year but struck out nine and allowed one unearned run in 7.0 innings.
Trey Taylor forced a pop out with the tying run 90 feet away to record his first save of the season.
Cline Andrews went 2-for-4 and
Brayton Carlson added two hits and two RBI. The Javelinas swiped five bags in the game one victory over the Greyhounds.
Blake Johnson singled to lead off the bottom of the second and a couple of plays later,
Jimmy Roche drove in the Hogs' first run of the game. The unearned run gave the Javelinas a 1-0 lead.
Benitez continued to stifle the Greyhounds, but a leadoff triple by Clyde Kendrick threatened to tie the game at 1-1. However, the righty forced a foul pop out to first base and punched out the next two hitters to strand the tying run 90 feet away from home plate.
The Javelinas scored three runs with two outs in the eighth, the first coming on a wild pitch/strikeout that should have ended the inning. However, Carlson's blooper drove in two runs and made it a 4-0 game heading into the final inning.
Eastern's bats came alive in the ninth and the patient Greyhounds came up with three huge runs and pitted the tying run at third base and the go-ahead run in scoring position. With one out in the ninth,
Dustin Luna came in and struck out Matthew Burks and Taylor was credited with the save.
With the victory, Texas A&M-Kingsville improved to 6-2 in one-run games and 9-2 at Nolan Ryan Field in 2015. A twin bill is set for 1 p.m. tomorrow. Live stats will be available and can be accessed by visiting JavelinaAthletics.com.
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