PORTALES, N.M. - The Texas A&M-Kingsville baseball program battled back for a split in Saturday's doubleheader against Eastern New Mexico in South Central Regional play after ending on the backside of an 11-6 decision in the first game before taking a 17-1 decision in the second game. 

"We needed to pitch better in game one," said head coach Jason Gonzales, "but I liked the fight they showed in game two. We gave ourselves a chance to win a series on the road, which is always tough to do." 

The Javelinas (14-8) were led by junior Seth Spinn (Holland, Texas) on the day as the transfer from Temple College posted five hits between the two contests against the Greyhounds (9-10) along with five RBI and six runs scored. 

GAME ONE 

The Hogs jumped on the Hounds in the first game after redshirt senior Pablo Hernandez (Havana, Cuba) ripped a two-run liner into center in the top of the first. 

ENMU responded promptly in the bottom half after Eurick Perez and Joseph Zubia pulled off the double steal with runners at the corners in the bottom half of the opening inning. Perez later scored in the frame on a bounding-ball single through the left half of the diamond from Luidinson Hildalgo. 

TAMUK regained the lead in the top of the secaond after Spinn roped a double into left to get a pair of runs home, while sophomore Giancarlo Servin (Edinburg, Texas) ended up reaching on a miscue that gave Spinn access to home. 

The cushion was quickly erased in the bottom of the second when Joel Paulino dropped a double into the right center gap for the first run, while Malcolm Smith added a two-run single to center on the next at bat. 

The hosts took over the lead for good in the stanza after Paul Tapia reached on a Hog error for a 6-5 advantage. 

ENMU tacked on one more in the fourth after Perez walked with the bases loaded, before three more runs came across in the fifth. 

Nicolas Ankerman pushed a two-run double to left to set TAMUK's deficit at 9-5, while Tapia found space in left for a one-run single to double up the visitors. 

A sacrifice fly from junior Austin De Leon (Frisco, Texas) in the top of the sixth became the final run for the Blue and Gold before the Greyhounds added a final run in the bottom half to set the line score at 11-6 for game one. 

Spinn was the lone Javelina to post multiple hits in the first game as he finished 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. 

Junior Zach Boyett (Robinson, Texas) moved to 2-2 on the year with the loss as he got the hook after one and 1/3 innings pitched, finishing with six runs allowed, three earned. 

GAME TWO 

TAMUK started the scoring early in the second game as well after De Leon led off the game with a walk and came home on a double in the right-center gap for the lead. Spinn later scored on yet another ENMU miscue to set the score at 2-0 going into the second. 

Senior Joshua Valdez (Kyle, Texas) got the bill for the second game and responded with six innings of one-run ball. Valdez sat down seven on strikes and let only two Greyhounds get beyond second base during his outing. 

The hosts' lone run came in the bottom of the third after Smith put a one-out single into right, made it to third on an errant pickoff attempt and ended up scoring on a sacrifice fly from Ankerman. 

Meanwhile, TAMUK added three runs in the second after De Leon skied a sacrifice fly of his own out to center field, while Spinn reached on an error that allowed redshirt senior Alex Gonzalez (Corpus Christi, Texas) to score and was followed up by Servin who dropped a liner into left for a 5-0 lead going into the third. 

Four more runs came home in the fourth as Spinn started the scoring with an infield single with runners at second and third before Servin roped a two-run single to center. Redshirt senior Manny Loredo (McAllen, Texas) set the line score at 9-1 going into the fifth as he pushed a single into right to plate Servin. 

Spinn added another run to his total in the fifth with a single into right, scoring Gonzalez, before Gonzalez took matters into his own hands in the sixth with the bases loaded as he found a gap through the left half of the diamond to put the cushion at double digits. 

The seventh featured six more runs for the Hogs as the first six batters of the frame reached safely. A bases-loaded free pass to senior Donovan Lewis (Alvin, Texas) started the rally while a pitching change did little to stem the tide as freshman Steven Bonuz (Port Lavaca, Texas) drew a walk in the following at bat for another run. 

Senior Dylan Hutcheson (Wichita Falls, Texas) took the easy route as he drilled a pitch from Toby Gutierrez down the left field line to clear the bases for a 16-1 lead. 

Hutcheson ended up crossing in the next at bat after redshirt senior Tim Gleinser (Victoria, Texas) grounded out to the second baseman deep in the hole to cement the line score at 17-1 to take the split. 

Valdez gave way to junior Noel Solis (Brownsville, Texas) for the final inning who tallied one punchout to secure the win. 

Spinn, Servin and Gonzalez accounted for nine of the Blue and Gold's 12 hits as the trio posted three each in the win. 

Spinn added three RBI and four runs, matched by Servin's three RBI and pair of runs, while Gonzalez added one RBI and three runs of his own. 

Sunday's finale is set for a 2 p.m. CT first pitch at the Greyhound Baseball Field. 

To keep up-to-date with the Javelina baseball program, visit JavelinaAthletics.com, you can also follow the team on Facebook at /JavelinaBaseball and on Twitter @JavelinaBSB 

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