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PORTALES, N.M. (Baseball) – Every starter reached base safely as the Javelina offense exploded for 19 runs on 16 hits to take game one over Eastern New Mexico University (8-15, 1-8 LSC), 19-9, Friday evening at Greyhound Field.
 
#RV/30 Texas A&M University-Kingsville (14-6, 6-3 LSC) was led by Zach Smith's 4-for-5 night with three runs scored, three RBI and two doubles. Ruben Almaguer was 3-for-5 at the dish with two runs and two RBI, Jimmy Roche and Pablo Hernandez each blasted home runs and combined for five runs and five RBI, and Miles Holcomb was 2-for-4 with four runs and two RBI. Hunter Perkins and Christian Caudle each tallied two hits and Brayton Carlson drove in two.
 
Smith drilled a pitch down the left field line for a double and he and Hayden Vesely successfully swiped second and third to put themselves in scoring position. Almaguer drove in Smith for a 1-0 lead in the leadoff inning.
 
Eastern New Mexico answered with two runs in the bottom of the first but Shane Veeder limited the damage, inducing a double play to strand two runners for the Greyhounds.
 
ENMU tacked on a run in the second to take a 3-1 lead, but the Javelinas responded with a run in the fourth on Caudle's RBI single that brought in Holcomb, who led off the frame with a walk and stole second to be in scoring position.
 
Smith led off the fifth with his third base hit of the evening and after Almaguer singled to put runners on first and second, Roche blasted a three-run shot to give Kingsville its second lead of the game, this time a 5-3 edge over the Greyhounds.
 
Following Roche's home run, Holcomb reached on an infield single and back-to-back walks to Hernandez and Caudle loaded the bases. A muffed throw allowed a run to score and batting around, Smith smacked a double to center field to bring in two more runs as Texas A&M-Kingsville plated six at that point to take an 8-3 lead. Another run came in to score on a balk in the inning.
 
The Greyhounds scored two in the bottom inning to cut it to an 8-5 game, but TAMUK scored two more in the sixth on Perkins' RBI double and an infield single by Caudle. ENMU then scored four in the bottom frame to head into the latter innings with an 11-9 deficit.
 
It turned into a four-run lead for Texas A&M-Kingsville with one swing of the bat as Hernandez went deep with Holcomb on base to make it a 13-9 ballgame in the eighth and the Javelina offense continued to showcase their depth with six runs in the ninth to take the series opener, 19-9.
 
Veeder (4-1) earned the victory after tossing 5.0 innings and Hunter Lehman struck out eight in 3.0 innings to earn his first save of the season. Nick DeArmond (0-2) was charged with the loss after allowing five runs in 4.1 innings.
 
A doubleheader is scheduled for tomorrow and live stats and video will be available for both games on JavelinaAthletics.com.
 
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