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STEPHENVILLE, Texas (Baseball) – No. 23/t-24 Texas A&M University-Kingsville (19-12, 13-6 LSC) jumped out to an early lead in the opening innings but Tarleton State University (12-13, 6-9 LSC) was able to escape Cecil Ballow Baseball Complex with an 8-4 win and a series victory over the Javelinas on Sunday afternoon.
 
The Javelinas scored a run in each of the first three innings. In the opening frame, Hayden Vesely doubled and later came around to score on Clint Wallace's RBI ground out. A one out solo shot by Larren Artis – his second of the season – gave the Hogs a quick 2-0 lead, but the Texans answered back with three runs in the bottom of the second, taking a 3-2 edge.
 
However, TAMUK was able to capitalize on defensive miscues, bringing around the tying run (Cline Andrews, who reached on a fielding error) on Wallace's double to tie the game at 3.
 
Continuing the trend, JP Phillips recorded his second hit of the game in the fourth, reached base safely on a bunt single. The speedster crossed the plate, allowing the Javelinas to take a one-run advantage on Ryan Fickel's RBI  base knock.
 
Tarleton responded with two runs in the bottom half of the fourth.
 
Back-to-back hits by Wallace and Blake Johnson put runners on first and second to begin the fifth. A bunt moved both runners into scoring position but TSU was able to end the top half of the inning preserving its one-run lead.
 
The Texans added a run in the fifth and two in the seventh for an 8-4 lead and took Sunday's game and the series with an 8-4 win.
 
Wallace went 3-for-5 with two doubles and two RBI and Phillips was 2-for-3 with a run at the dish.
 
Trey Taylor (1-1) fell to 1-1 on the year after allowing five runs – three earned – in his second start of the season. Weston Silverberg struck out five in 3.1 innings of relief and Ryan Scott threw a scoreless eighth, striking out two.
 
Earning the win for TSU was left-hander Seth Hallmark, who improved to 1-0 on the season after entering the game in the fifth and going 2.0 innings.
 
The Javelinas end the first half of LSC play 13-6 and are currently atop the conference standings. The second half begins with a three-game set at West Texas A&M University next weekend, April 3-4. The Buffs are 20-12 this season and 12-8 in LSC play after splitting a four-game set at Cameron University. Earlier this season, TAMUK took three out of four from WT.
 
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