LAWTON, Okla. (Baseball) – Cameron University (7-9, 1-4 LSC) earned its first Lone Star Conference victory of the season and snapped a nine-game losing streak to the Javelinas in a three-run ninth inning to defeat Texas A&M University-Kingsville (9-7, 3-2 LSC), 6-5, on Saturday afternoon at McCord Field.
A stellar effort by right-hander
Ryan Benitez set up the Javelinas for their 10
th win of the season after the senior struck out nine in 7.0 innings, but Benitez picked up the no-decision despite leaving the game with a 5-3 edge. Aggie starter Codey Upton went 8.0 innings and allowed five runs but Deven Youngsteadt (1-0) earned his first win with a scoreless ninth inning. TAMUK closer
Ryan Scott (1-2) fell to 1-2 after allowing three runs – two earned – in the ninth.
The Javelinas led 5-3 heading into the bottom of the ninth and Scott entered the game looking for his sixth save of the season. However, three walks, two singles and a hit by pitch in the final frame left the Hogs stunned as the Aggies took game one with a walk-off single.
Weston Silverberg continued his dominance as the setup man, throwing a perfect eighth inning. At the plate,
Cline Andrews extended his on-base streak to 13 consecutive games after going 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI and
Hayden Vesely now has a seven-game hit streak after tallying a double, stolen base and RBI.
Kingsville got off to a quick start, scoring two runs in the opening frame and adding a run in the top of the second.
Ryan Fickel and
Blake Johnson got things started in the opening innings with leadoff singles, respectively. Andrews and
Clint Wallace found gaps for back-to-back doubles in the first to plate Fickel and Andrews. After Johnson's single in the second,
Brayton Carlson's sacrifice moved the leadoff man to scoring position and Johnson came around to score on Fickel's RBI ground out.
The Aggies struck back with two runs on two hits and an error in the fourth, but the Hogs got one back in the following half-inning after
Zach Smith's triple and Vesely's RBI double. An infield single by Andrews scored Vesely as the Javelinas led 5-2 heading into the later innings. CU put one up on the scoreboard in the seventh to make it a two-run ballgame before ending the game with a magical ninth inning.
The series resumes tomorrow at 1 p.m. with a doubleheader. Live stats and video will be available.
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