KINGSVILLE, Texas (Baseball) – No. t-25 Texas A&M University-Kingsville (20-8, 11-5 LSC) earned its fifth series victory of 2016 after taking three of four from Tarleton State University (12-16, 6-10 LSC) with an 11-3 victory in game one Saturday at Nolan Ryan Field. The Javelinas fell to the Texans in game two and the series finale, 3-0.
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Dalton Perry extended his reached base safely streak to 17 games with hits in each game Saturday.
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The Javelinas are tied with Angelo State University for second in the Lone Star Conference following West Texas A&M University's series sweep over Eastern New Mexico University.
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Game OnePablo Hernandez was 3-for-4 with two runs scored, a double and RBI,
Alex Gonzalez went 2-for-3 with two RBI, and
Jimmy Roche and
Ruben Almaguer each registered two hits in the 11-3 victory.
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Tarleton State opened the game with two runs in the leadoff inning but the Javelinas chipped away at their deficit in the second and took a 3-2 lead, plating three runs on four hits. Three consecutive opposite field hits brought in a run as Hernandez doubled down the line with one out and came around to score on
Christian Caudle's single. Roche followed with a single through the left side and the bases were loaded after on a
Miles Holcomb walk. Gonzalez drove in two to give the Hogs a 3-2 lead on a single up the middle.
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Roche picked up his second hit of the game in the sixth, driving in Almaguer and Hernandez, who began the bottom frame with back-to-back singles and moved into scoring position on Caudle's sacrifice bunt. Perry came in as a pinch hitter in the sixth and drove the ball through the left side to extend his reached base safely streak to 16 games, the second most with Caudle right behind him at 14 games. With the bases loaded, pinch hitters continued to come up clutch for Texas A&M-Kingsville as
Wesley Aguilar blooped a single to right field to give TAMUK a four-run cushion. Vesely plated two on a single up the middle as the lead extended to six, 8-2. With the base knock, Vesely's reached base streak increased to 25 games. Almaguer followed with a double off the wall to clear the bases (Aguilar and Vesely) for a two-run two-bagger as the lead reached eight. The hits continued to pile up as Hernandez drove in Almaguer on a single down the left field line. The eight-run inning featured 13 plate appearances and every hitter reached base safely by either a hit, walk or hit by pitch.
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The Texans scored a run in the top of the seventh.
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Vesely settled down after the first, tossing four shutout innings and finished the day with 5.0 innings of two-run ball. The right-hander punched out seven as the Hogs took the first game Saturday 11-3.
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Vesely (2-1) earned the W and Callaway Kirkpatrick (2-4) was charged with the loss after allowing five runs in 5.1 innings.
Jako Kelm threw a scoreless sixth and
Hunter Lehman tossed the seventh as the Javelinas clinched the series victory.
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Game TwoShane Veeder allowed two runs – one run – in 5.0 innings of work as the starter. Tarleton State was able to score two runs in the fifth after Veeder and Blain Bagley matched zeros through the first four innings. The Texans scored on an RBI single and a throwing error.
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The Javelina offense threatened with two outs in the eighth with runners at the corners following hits by pinch hitter
Hunter Perkins and
Brayton Carlson but a pitching change preserved the two-run lead for the Texans.
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Tarleton State added a run in the ninth for a three-run cushion to take the final game of the four-game series 3-0. The Javelinas edged out the series victory 3-1 before heading to Stephenville later in the year to take on TSU.
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Trey Taylor threw 2.0 scoreless innings in relief and
Kyle Black and
Lance Elling appeared in game two.
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Carlson went 2-for-4 from the leadoff spot.
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Veeder (4-2) was tagged with the loss despite allowing the two runs in 5.0 innings and Bagley (1-1) earned his first win of the season after tossing 8.0 innings. Zach Freeman was credited with his first save of the season after a scoreless ninth.
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The Javelinas resume their home stand next week when nationally-ranked West Texas A&M enters Kingsville.
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Be sure to follow the six-time Lone Star Conference championships on Twitter (
@JavelinaBSB) and Instagram (
@JavelinaBSB), and like the
/JavelinaSports Facebook page. Â
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