LAREDO, Texas-Â The Texas A&M-Kingsville baseball team split a Lone Star Conference doubleheader with Texas A&M-International, first besting the Dustdevils, 10-2, before falling 7-6 on the back end at Jorge Haynes Field on Saturday.Â
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The Javelinas (26-23, 25-22 LSC) split with the Dustdevils (18-27, 18-27 LSC) as senior Steven Bonuz posted a stellar day at the dish, with three home runs and four RBIs. Also driving in multiple runs, sophomore Jake Chapman went 3-for-6, while redshirt sophomore Dalton Kramer launched two longballs.
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GAME ONE
Sophomore Karson Shepard (4-2) went the distance picking up a 10-2 victory for the Pack, while Lalo Salinas (3-5) was tagged with the loss. Shepard fanned eight across all seven frames, allowing just one walk and two runs.
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The Javelinas started hot, plating five runs to open the contest in the top of the first. Kramer smashed a solo shot to kick things off, ahead of a double by redshirt junior Ivan Duarte and a two-run bomb by Bonuz for a 3-0 Blue and Gold lead. Chapman and junior Jacob Rosales then slapped back-to-back singles before Chapman charged home on a wild pitch, and Rosales came across on a sac-fly by redshirt sophomore Ramsey Amador.
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Bonuz launched his second long ball of the afternoon in the top of the second, increasing the Javelina edge to six. TAMIU then got two runs back in the bottom of the frame, resulting in a 6-2 score line entering the third.
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The Hogs added another run in the fourth after Bonuz walked, and Chapman, Rosales, and junior Shelby Becker all singled.Â
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Chapman then plated a pair in the fifth, resulting in a 9-2 Blue and Gold lead.
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Duarte tacked on one more insurance in the top of the seventh, scoring redshirt sophomore Jaden Cavazos on a sac-fly before Shepard sealed the deal in the bottom half guaranteeing TAMUK at least a road-series split.
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GAME TWO
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TAMIU took game two, 7-6, as freshman Marco Martinez (3-4) was pegged with the loss, while Mario Garcia (1-0) picked up his first win of the season. Junior Colton Taylor didn't receive a decision despite logging a quality start with six strikeouts over 5.1 innings and two runs on his line.
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The Javelinas again struck first with a Bonuz round-tripper kick-starting game two in the top of the first. TAMIU quickly equalized with a solo shot of their own in the home half before four Blue and Gold runs in the top of the third allowed TAMUK to regain its lead.
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Kramer was issued a free pass to open the stanza ahead of a Duarte double that pushed him across the plate. Two quick outs followed, but a Becker double allowed Duarte to score. Rosales was plunked with a junior Michael Cervantes single and a wild pitch helping propel the squad to a 5-1 lead.
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TAMIU got one back in the bottom of the third with a one-out, bases-loaded single. Taylor then induced a fly out toward Kramer, who doubled up a tagging base runner, limiting the damage.
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Kramer went yard in the top of the sixth for a 6-2 score line entering the bottom half. The Dustdevils then loaded up the bases before junior Cole Payne entered and induced a pair of outs, getting TAMUK out of the jam still up by four.
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TAMIU mounted a comeback in the bottom of the seventh with a solo home run and an RBI double slicing their deficit in half. Sophomore Carter Poulson then took over on the mound before a walk saw Martinez toe the slab looking to close things out. A pop-up represented the first out of the frame, ahead of a three-run walk-off home run by Mario Chacon that concluded the contest with a 7-6 score line.
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The teams will battle once more as the Javelinas eye and series victory and wrap up their regular season with a 1 p.m. first pitch at Jorge Haynes Field on Sunday.
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