LAWTON, Okla. (Baseball) – Pablo Hernandez went yard for the seventh time this season in a come from behind, 10-7 victory in game one as No. 25/16 Texas A&M University-Kingsville (24-12, 15-8 LSC) split Saturday's doubleheader at McCord Field, 10-7, and 8-2, earning the season series win 4-3.
With the home run, Hernandez now holds the top mark in the Lone Star Conference as a true freshman. He finished with three RBI, while
Ruben Almaguer (2-for-4) and
Brayton Carlson (2-for-5) added two ribbies apiece.
Dalton Perry went 3-for-4 with three runs scored in game one and walked twice in game two, extending his reached base safely streak to 25 games. Hernandez was 2-for-4 at the dish in the series finale.
Game OneEvery starter reached base safely as the Javelinas scored seven unanswered runs to take the first game of the double dip, 10-7. Hernandez's three-run shot in the fifth gave the Javelinas an 8-7 lead. Almaguer finished with two hits, including his 13
th double of the season, a conference-high.
Lance Elling tossed three shutout innings, striking out six to improve to 3-0 on the year.
Hunter Lehman shut the door in the seventh to earn his third save of the season.
TAMUK began with a run in the leadoff frame after Perry, who walked with one out, came around to score on Almaguer's two-bagger. Cameron responded with four runs in the bottom frame to take a 4-1 lead.
Alex Gonzalez walked to begin the third and scored Kingsville's second run of the game, cutting its deficit to 4-2 on Perry's RBI double. Almaguer drove in his second run of the game with a two-out single, making it a one-run ballgame.
CU scored three runs in the bottom of the inning, taking a 7-3 lead, but the Aggies could not score on Elling and Lehman as they were held scoreless for the final four innings.
The comeback began in the fourth with a leadoff single by
Christian Caudle.
Jimmy Roche was hit by a pitch to put runners on first and second and later in the inning, Carlson's two-out, two-run double cut Cameron's lead to 7-5.
The clutch hitting continued in the fifth with a leadoff single by
Hayden Vesely and following an error, Hernandez blasted an 0-1 pitch to left field for his seventh home run of the season, giving the Javelinas an 8-7 lead.
TAMUK tacked on two huge insurance runs in the sixth, once again beginning the inning with a runner reaching safely, this time Perry, who singled to left. Perry and Vesely came around to score moments later on an error and wild pitch, respectively, giving the Javelinas a 10-7 edge.
Lehman needed just 10 pitches to earn his third save of the season in relief of Elling, who punched out six and allowed just one baserunner in 3.0 innings.
Deven Youngstedt (1-1) was tagged with the loss after allowing three runs – two earned.
Game TwoHernandez singled in his first two at-bats in the series finale and Perry and Almaguer's reached base safely streaks extended to 25 games and 19 games, respectively, but the Javelinas could not overcome a big second inning by the Aggies, falling to CU 8-2.
Despite the loss, the Blue and Gold outhit Cameron 7-to-5.
Jako Kelm came out of the bullpen to throw 3.0 scoreless innings.
Sebi Palacios (3-1) was hit with the loss after allowing five runs in 1.2 innings, while Cody Upton (4-1) was credited with the victory after tossing 6.2 innings of two-run ball.
Cameron's big inning came in the second with five runs and the home team added a run in the third to jump out to a 6-0 lead.
In the seventh, Caudle and pinch hitter
Hunter Perkins walked and Carlson singled to load the bases with two outs. Perry walked to bring in a run and keep the bases juiced and Vesely followed with an RBI single, making it a 6-2 game with the tying run at the plate. In the eighth, the Aggies tacked on two runs to take the contest 8-2.
The Javelinas return to Nolan Ryan Field to host the LSC-leading Angelo State University Rams next weekend. The Hogs are 15-7 at home, while the Rams are 15-11 away from San Angelo, Texas.
Be sure to follow the six-time Lone Star Conference championships on Twitter (
@JavelinaBSB) and Instagram (
@JavelinaBSB), and like the
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