KINGSVILLE, Texas – A wild pitch in the bottom of the 14th scored Dylan Hutcheson with the winning run, giving the Texas A&M-Kingsville baseball team a 6-5 triumph over the Southwest Baptist University Bearcats on Sunday afternoon at Nolan Ryan Field in Kingsville, Texas.
The Javelinas keep their record perfect at 7-0 by completing a four-game sweep of the Bearcats, who are now at 3-5.
This contest matched the longest game in school history in terms of innings, which was set on April 6th, 2012 at home against Cameron.
The game-winning rally started when Hutcheson lofted a single down the right field line and swiped second base. He moved to third on a wild pitch and when Logan Sorrell (0-1) fired another offering to the backstop, Hutcheson trotted home to end the game.
The Bearcats seized the early initiative with two first inning runs. Three consecutive two-out singles loaded the bases for Clint Jack, who pushed a two-run hit back through the middle. The visitors tacked on a third run in the fifth on an RBI knock by Tyler Mathys and Southwest Baptist extended their lead to five when Andrew Meier and Don Roethler came across on an error.
The first opportunity for TAMUK to eat into that lead came in the eighth. Prior to that, the Javelinas managed just one baserunner against Dalton Morrow. Austin Ingraham picked up the Hogs' first hit of the game with a double to left-center and, after he stole third, Will Arnold drove a single through the right side and Ingraham came around to make the score 5-1. Two walks followed to load the bases and a third consecutive free pass, this one to Hutcheson, forced in Kingsville's second run. Mitchell Sternerdink then came in and uncorked a pair of wild pitches, allowing two more runs to come in and putting TAMUK just one run behind.
In the ninth, the Javs displayed their patience at the plate again, with walks to Ingraham and Arnold beginning the frame. After a sacrifice moved both runners over, an intentional walk juiced the bases before another wild toss tallied the tying run. Neither side could push across the go-ahead run until the Javelinas ended the day in the 14th.
The next time Nolan Ryan Field will be used is for baseball's Alumni Game on Friday. Their next regular season contest will take place on Feb. 22nd on the road against St. Mary's. To follow the program all season long, you can follow the team on Twitter @JavelinaBSB, like /JavelinaSports on Facebook and subscribe to the Javelina athletics YouTube channel.
