PORTALES, N.M. — The Texas A&M-Kingsville baseball team fell victim to Eastern New Mexico in a tightly contested Lone Star Conference matchup at the Greyhound Baseball Field that finished 8-7. This matchup marked the final game of the regular season, ahead of the 2022 Lone Star Conference baseball tournament which begins Friday, May 6.
The Javelinas (30-16, 28-16 LSC) fell to the Greyhounds (17-31, 16-30 LSC) after a back-and-forth contest that ended in favor of ENMU. Following the result, TAMUK lands fourth in the regular season standings and are in line to host UT Tyler in the opening round of the league tournament.
Sophomore
Ivan Duarte (Juarez, Mexico) was TAMUK's top hitter logging three hits including a double, while senior
Giancarlo Servin (Edinburg, Texas) batted in a pair of runs. Additionally, classmate
Kyler Bumstead (Kountze, Texas) and sophomore
Jake Chapman (Boerne, Texas) each posted multiple hits.
The Javelinas wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, needing just two batters to score a run after Thompson worked a walk before crossing home plate on a single by Bumstead in the top of the first.
An inning later the Hogs increased their lead to two, with Allen plating Duarte on a sacrificed fly ball.
With a 2-0 score line favoring TAMUK in the top of the third, Thomspon was issued another free pass and Bumstead slapped a single resulting in a pair of baserunners. Later in the inning a double steal led to back-to-back sacrificed flies by Wolff and Servin that put the Javelinas us four runs.
Freshman
Robbie Spencer (Portland, Texas) tossed five solid scoreless innings, before the Greyhounds broke through in the sixth, snatching a 7-4 lead with a seven-run inning, that featured three doubles.
From there, sophomore
Hunter Kloesel (Shiner, Texas) and senior
Mason Foster (Dilley, Texas) each threw scoreless innings keeping the deficit at three runs headed into the final frame.
The Javelinas clawed back in the top of the ninth, as Cavasos smashed a triple down the left field line before scoring on a sharply hit single by Servin. With TAMUK down to their last out consecutive errors by the Greyhounds allowed Servin and Duarte to cross the plate evening the game at seven apiece.
In the bottom of the ninth, Spencer Roach of ENMU logged a leadoff double, shortly before crossing the plate on a single by Sammy Williamson that represented the winning run.
The Javelinas now await a best-of three opening round series against the Patriots which will begin Friday, at Nolan Ryan Field in Kingsville, Texas. The winner of the first-round matchup will advance to a double-elimination tournament that begins Thursday, May 12, at the highest remaining seed.
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