CANYON, Texas – The No. RV/18 Texas A&M University-Kingsville baseball program struck first in the final game of the Lone Star series against No. 6/10 West Texas A&M on Sunday at Wilder Park, but couldn't hold on to the lead and ended up on the backend of a 11-6 decision.

The Javelinas (32-13, 11-9 LSC) owned a 4-2 advantage heading into the bottom off the fifth, but the Buffs (35-10, 17-3 LSC) would string together nine runs over the next four frames to hand the Hogs only their third series loss of the 2018 season.

Senior Christian Caudle (Klein, Texas) got the Blue and Gold on the board in the top of the first after roping the second pitch he saw into right to bring redshirt-sophomore Kohl Ullman (Houston, Texas) home, but WT would match the total in the following inning after Luis Amaro skied the first pitch of his at bat to left to know the score at one apiece.

The Buffs took over the lead in the third after Nick Canas dropped a single into center before the Hogs doubled up the hosts in the top of the fifth.

Senior Levi Zents (Fort Worth, Texas) and Caudle both drove bounding-ball singles back up the middle as Zents plated junior Manny Loredo (McAllen, Texas) before crossing the plate on Caudle's hit for a 4-2 TAMUK advantage.


The lead was short-lived as West Texas A&M got another home run from Amaro in the bottom of the fifth, this one a three-run shot to left center, forcing the Hogs to play catch-up the rest of the way.

WT got three more in the sixth before tacking on another two in the seventh, while junior Pablo Hernandez (Havana, Cuba) posted his team-leading fifth round-tripper of the year to left and Ullman pushed a pitch back up the middle to close within four in the top of the eighth.

Any attempt to string together a comeback would end in vain as the Buffs added the final run in the bottom of the eighth to hand the Hogs an 11-6 defeat with one week to go in the regular season.

The Javelinas will return home next week to host Cameron for a four-game Lone Star slate and will honor 11 seniors in their final appearance at Nolan Ryan Field starting on Friday, May 4.

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