KINGSVILLE, Texas – The Texas A&M University-Kingsville baseball program closes out the non-conference portion of the 2018 schedule on Tuesday when the University of Houston-Victoria pays a visit to Nolan Ryan Field.
The Hogs squared off with the Jaguars earlier in the year as the Blue and Gold took a 13-3 win over UHV in Victoria thanks in large part to a pinch-hit grand slam from sophomore
Dax McCleary (Sweeny, Texas) in the top of the eight to power the win.
Head coach
Jason Gonzales used a total of 23 Javelinas in the win, including six on the bump en route to the win. The Jaguars struck first in the bottom of the third following a single into right from Jacob Atkinson but the Hogs were quick to respond in the top of the fifth with four runs ignited by a bases-loaded walk from senior
Levi Zents (Fort Worth, Texas).
Senior
Dallas Stefano (Cypress, Texas) followed up with a two-run liner into right while Zents ended up crossing the plate later in the frame on a failed pickoff attempt.
UHV kept it close in the bottom of the seventh but TAMUK poured on a deluge of runs in the eighth inning to take the win.
The Javelinas are fresh off a series win over No. 17 Angelo Sate this past weekend at Nolan Ryan Field as the Blue and Gold took three of four from the visitors.
TAMUK took game one with a commanding 16-2 decision as freshman
Tyler Flores (San Antonio, Texas) hurled a complete-game, 12-strikeout performance in only his second start.
The Rams took game two, 4-1, before the Javelinas responded in game two with a 3-0 win behind a complete-game shutout from senior
Kyle Craft (Victoria, Texas).
The Hogs took the final game of the series at 9-5 with the all-around effort as juniors
Preston Plovanich (Santa Fe, Texas) and
Joshua Valdez (Kyle, Texas) provided the one-two punch on the mound.
The first game of the series carried additional weight for one member of the TAMUK baseball family as the win was Coach Gonzales' 300th at the helm of the program. Gonzales is the first head coach at Texas A&M University-Kingsville to surpass the 300 career win mark.
With the series win over Angelo State, the Javelinas moved to 24-8 on the year with a 4-4 mark in Lone Star play, while UHV currently sits at 11-23 following a six-game skid after the loss to TAMUK before series wins against the University of the Southwest and Texas College.
First pitch of the contest is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT at Nolan Ryan Field on Tuesday, April 10.
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