KINGSVILLE, Texas (Baseball) – Replacing the entire starting rotation and key regular players was no easy task but 10 games into Lone Star Conference play, head coach
Jason Gonzales has Texas A&M University-Kingsville baseball (14-7, 8-2 LSC) sitting atop the conference standings after the Javelinas took both games on Sunday at Nolan Ryan Field, 8-5, and 4-2.
With the series win, the Hogs are now 5-0 in series' this season and 11-2 in the friendly confines of Nolan Ryan Field.
The leadoff guys did their job, combining to reach base safely nine times out of 12 in the doubleheader.
Hayden James (4-2) threw his second consecutive complete game and struck out five. The senior right-hander and current National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association South Central Region Pitcher of the Week allowed just five hits and two unearned runs in the win.
Hayden Vesely went 4-for-6 in the two games.
Game OneTAMUK got to Cody Pope early and often and took a commanding 8-0 lead, but the late inning heroics continued for the Greyhounds. Despite the ENMU rally, the Hogs escaped with an 8-5 victory in game one.
The Javelinas took a quick 1-0 lead after a 1-2-3 opening inning for
Matt Terrones and a single, sacrifice and RBI single by
Ryan Fickel,
Zach Smith and Vesely, respectively, in the bottom frame.
The Javelinas began the second inning with four consecutive singles and a base on ball to take a 3-0 lead.
Clint Wallace and
Larren Artis recorded back-to-back base knocks and a bunt single by
Brayton Carlson loaded the bases.
Jimmy Roche's blooper up the middle gave the Javelinas a 2-0 lead and Fickel's walk plated the second runner of the inning and third of the game for TAMUK. Two batters later, Vesely added his second RBI of the game with a bloop single up the middle to give the Hogs a 4-0 lead after two full innings.
Continuing the trend, Wallace walked to begin the third, Artis singled and Carlson registered his second consecutive bunt single to load the bases. Roche drove in his second Javelina of the game with a single through the left side as Kingsville took a 5-0 lead. A hit by pitch and passed ball made it a 7-0 ballgame and the Greyhounds decided to make wholesale changes, bringing in five new players. The Hogs tacked on another run to take an eight-run lead.
Eastern New Mexico scored two runs on two hits and a Javelina error in the fourth to cut the deficit to 8-2. With the runs scored, Terrones' scoreless innings streak was snapped at 18.2 (third inning of Feb. 21 vs. Texas College).
The Greyhounds added three huge runs in the sixth and had two runners in scoring position and the tying run at the plate with no outs and
Dustin Luna on the mound for the Javelinas. Fresh out of the 'pen, the right-hander continued his strong season, punching out the next two batters and forcing a ground out to preserve the three-run lead.
The Javelinas had the leadoff hitter reach base safely in five of the six innings. Terrones (4-0) improved to 4-0 on the season after striking out three in 5.0 innings. Entering the game with a 2.39 ERA, the Javelinas got to Cody Pope (3-2) early and often, scoring eight runs – seven earned – on 10 hits in 2.1 innings.
Weston Silverberg picked up his first save in a Javelina uniform with a scoreless seventh as Kingsville took the first of two games, 8-5.
Fickel went 2-for-3 with an RBI and Vesely was 2-for-3 with three RBI at the dish. The bottom of the order (Wallace, Artis, Carlson and Roche) went a combined 7-for-12 with seven runs. Roche added two RBI and the first baseman, Carlson and Artis registered a multi-hit performance in the game one victory.
Game TwoA double steal attempt worked in the favor of TAMUK as Wallace successfully came around to score to give Kingsville a 1-0 lead. In the next inning, Vesely began with a single and Andrews' triple drove in the shortstop and added a run on the scoreboard for the Hogs. The triple was nearly run down by ENMU center fielder Clyde Kendrick but the lefty jumped a second too early.
A double by Carlson led off the bottom of the fourth and the center fielder came around to score on a fielding error by the first baseman.
Sloppy play allowed the Hogs to add an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth to head into the final inning with a 4-2 lead.
James stayed out there for his second complete game of the season and earned his fourth win on the year with the 4-2 victory over ENMU. Vesely went 2-for-3 in game two with a run scored. Mike Peters (0-1) was charged with the loss despite pitching a complete game, allowing seven hits and four runs – one earned.
The series concludes tomorrow at 1 p.m. Live stats will be available and can be accessed by visiting JavelinaAthletics.com, the official home of Texas A&M-Kingsville athletics.
For full coverage of Kingsville baseball, please follow @TAMUKBaseball14 on Twitter and @JavelinaAthletics on Instagram, like our Facebook page (Javelina Nation) and subscribe to the JavelinaAthletics YouTube channel.
