KINGSVILLE, Texas - The Texas A&M-Kingsville baseball program resisted a late push from St. Edward's on Sunday at Nolan Ryan Field to take the Lone Star Conference series finale at 10-6 to wrap the weekend home stand.
"When we talk about competing, it's not always going to look pretty," said head coach
Jason Gonzales. "There were some instances, on the mound and in the box, where it didn't look pretty but we grinded some stuff out and they competed. That's all we want from these guys."
The Javelinas (11-7, 11-7 LSC) built up the 8-1 cushion by the sixth inning and endured a five-run rally from the Hilltoppers (9-9, 9-9 LSC) to split the four-game series.
A wild pitch from SEU brought in the first run of the game as sophomore
Steven Bonuz (Port Lavaca, Texas) scampered home for the 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second. The visitors got the run back in the top of the third with an RBI single from Matt Jimenez, but a two-run triple down the right field line from redshirt junior
Will Arnold (Magnolia, Texas) in the bottom half of the frame gave the lead back to the Hogs for good as classmate
Giancarlo Servin (Edinburg, Texas) and senior
Austin De Leon (Frisco, Texas) raced around the bases to score.
The Javelinas kept padding their lead in one- and two-run increments from there, starting with an RBI liner to left from redshirt
Rey Chapa (The Woodlands, Texas) in the fourth before a double to left center from Servin and a single to right from Bonuz in the fifth brought across two more.
Two more runs were posted by the hosts in the sixth after Chapa dropped down a bunt single and an errant throw granted senior
Aldo Buendia (Laredo, Texas) access to the plate for the first run, while a fielder's choice grounder in the infield from Arnold opened the door for redshirt senior
Kohl Ullman (Houston, Texas) to score the second run.
St. Edward's made a run in the eighth to turn up the heat when three walks to lead off the inning loaded the bases for Dylan Mackin, who started the rally with an RBI groundout to Ullman. Nathan Ramon brought the second run across with a bounding-ball single into right, prompting a pitching change from the Hogs, before Jimenez poked a single to the opposite side that cut the lead to 8-4.
Two more runs came home for the Hilltoppers one batter later when Tyler Dean boucned a single into right to bring up the tying run in Blake Holub, but a deep fly ball caught at the center field warning track quelled the rally and set the score at 8-6 heading into the bottom half of the stanza.
The Hogs got two insurance runs in the home half of the eighth, first on a fielder's choice bunt from Chapa to push Ullman to third, who ended up at the plate after the throw down to his bag sailed wide of the mark. A bases-loaded walk issued to junior
Reid Baty (Laramie, Wyo.) later in the at-bat provided the final run for the Blue and Gold as De Leon took a stroll home for a 10-6 cushion going into the final inning.
Redshirt senior
Alex Canul (Edinburg, Texas) got the bill in the ninth for TAMUK and hurled a scoreless frame to secure the win for the hosts.
Junior
Kolby Lunsford (Helotes, Texas) got the start for the Hogs and threw five innings of one-run ball, striking out three in the process for his first win in Kingsville.
De Leon, Servin, Buendia and Chapa all finished with two hits on the day to lead the effort at the plate. Arnold had the lone triple while Servin and redshirt junior
Hayden Fails (Sweeny, Texas) both tacked on a double each.
The Javelinas spend the next two weeks on the road starting with a four-game set against St. Mary's on Friday, March 6, in San Antonio.
Watch your Javelinas live on the Javelina Sports Network sponsored by Mendoza's Pharmacy. Stay up-to-date with everything Javelina baseball at JavelinaAthletics.com, follow the program on Twitter @JavelinaBSB and see recent news on Facebook at /JavelinaBSB
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