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CANYON, Texas (Baseball) – In what turned out to be a preview of the No. 2 vs. No. 3 in the upcoming Lone Star Conference Tournament at Foster Field at 1^st Community Credit Union Stadium in San Angelo, Texas, No. 18/22 Texas A&M University-Kingsville (34-15, 24-11 LSC) took game one 9-6, before falling to West Texas A&M University (33-17, 21-14 LSC), 12-1, in game two Saturday at David & Myrt Wilder Park.
 
With the split, the Javelinas finished in second place in the LSC and take on the Buffs on Thursday, May 12 at tentatively 11 a.m. The Javelinas won the season series 5-2.  
 
Game One
Ruben Almaguer went a perfect 3-for-3 at the dish, Brayton Carlson was 2-for-3 with two RBI and three runs scored and hit one of three home runs for Texas A&M-Kingsville as the Javelinas took Saturday's opener 9-6.
 
Jimmy Roche added his fifth home run of the season and Pablo Hernandez followed with a solo shot in a five-run second inning.
 
The Javelinas continued to showcase their power with three home runs in a five-run second to take a 5-0 lead. The five consecutive hits led off the inning, beginning with Almaguer's single up the middle. Roche drove a 1-1 pitch to right field for his second home run of the series to give TAMUK a 2-0 lead and Hernandez followed with a jack of his own to go back-to-back. The home run was his eighth of the season, giving the freshman sole possession of first atop the long ball department in the LSC. Christian Caudle took the first pitch he saw to opposite field and came around to score on Brayton Carlson's two-run shot that extended Kingsville's lead to 5-0.
 
Small ball manufactured WT's first run of the game in the bottom of the second but the lead remained Texas A&M-Kingsville's, 5-1.
 
Back-to-back singles by Carlson and Wesley Aguilar led off the fourth and a suicide squeeze by Zach Smith brought in TAMUK's sixth run of the game for a 6-1 lead.
 
West Texas A&M responded with three runs in the bottom frame to cut its deficit to 6-4 and the go-ahead run on first base. Lance Elling, who relieved Vesely, struck out Mason Shiplett to strand the bases juiced and preserve Kingsville's two-run lead.
 
Three more runs crossed the plate in the sixth for Texas A&M-Kingsville after back-to-back RBI doubles by Dalton Perry and Smith. Vesely's bunt brought home the inning's third run to extend the Javelinas' advantage, 9-4.
 
The Buffs scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to make it a 9-6 ballgame, but could not score more as TAMUK took game one of Saturday's double dip 9-6.
 
Caudle added two hits a day after a two-hit performance.
 
Elling finished with six strikeouts in 3.1 innings of work in relief of Vesely and picked up the victory, improving to 4-1. Brooks Trujillo fell to 7-5 after allowing six runs in 4.0 innings.
 
Game Two
The sun factored into the game as it appeared to cause several miscues on the diamond. The Buff took advantage and took the regular season finale 12-1.
 
Hunter Perkins and Perry each registered two hits in the latter game.
 
The Buffaloes struck first with three runs in the first inning. The Javelinas got one back in the top of the third as Carlson walked to begin the frame, followed by back-to-back singles off the bats of Aguilar and Perry (RBI), cutting their deficit to 3-1.
 
WT's Hunter Henderson hit his second home run of the game to extend the Buffs lead to 5-1 and West Texas's third home run of the game followed moments later as the home club took a 7-1 edge.
 
West Texas A&M was able to add five runs in the sixth for a 12-1 lead.
 
Shane Veeder was tagged with the loss, falling to 4-3. Sebi Palacios struck out five in 3.2 innings and Hunter Lehman tossed an inning of relief. Jacob Foitek also appeared out of the bullpen. Luke Wiechec tossed all 7.0 innings in the contest to improve to 3-2.
 
Angelo State earned the 2016 Lone Star Conference regular season championship and will take on No. 4 Cameron University Thursday at tentatively 3 p.m.
 
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