AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas A&M-Kingsville baseball team opened the 2024 season with a doubleheader against the St. Edward's Hilltoppers. On a cloudy and wet afternoon, the Hilltoppers bested the Javelinas in both contests, 2-6 and 1-3.
The Javelinas (0-2, LSC 0-2) and the Hilltoppers (2-0, LSC 2-0) will meet again two more times to close out the series.
GAME ONE
The Hilltoppers came back from an early deficit to claim the first game, 6-2, as Brennan Berdon picked up the win while
Colton Taylor was given the loss.
The Javelinas struck first to grab the opening run in emphatic fashion as
Dalton Kramer opened up with a triple on the first at-bat of the season.
Jacob Rosales quickly followed as the next man up, belting a single up the middle to immediately bring Kramer home.
It did not take long for SEU to respond, getting on base with a double from the first man up then capitalizing on two wild pitches to advance to third then home plate, tying the game 1-1.
In the third, the Javelinas threatened to take the lead once again as
Michael Cervantes singled, advanced to second on a Kramer bunt then to third on a balk, but he was left stranded. Instead, it was the Hilltoppers who blew the game open in the third inning as multiple walks assisted them in putting up four runs to take the lead, 5-1.
After SEU tacked on an additional run in the fourth inning, the Javelinas attempted to mount a comeback in the fifth but fell well short.
Kyle Perales opened the inning with a double while
Logan Crow joined him on a walk afterwards. Rosales picked up his second RBI of the afternoon with a single down the left side to bring the score to 2-6, but that would be the last Javelina score of the game.
GAME TWO
The second game was closely contested between the two squads, but the Hilltoppers picked up the doubleheader sweep as Ben Smedshammer was credited with the win. The loss was pegged to
Sergio Lopez
A defensive battle saw the game scoreless through the first three innings before the Hogs managed to strike first once more. Perales found himself on base on a walk, then advancing to second on a sacrifice bunt from
Garrett Thompson. After advancing to third on a passed ball, Cervantes picked up the RBI on a single to left, bringing Perales home.
The Javelinas held the Hilltoppers scoreless for one more inning before SEU got on the board and took the lead in the fifth inning. Assisted by a walk and a catcher's interference, SEU put up three runs in the inning on a two-run double and a one-run single.
Through the last two innings, the Hogs left two runners of base, dropping the second game of the day, 1-3.
The Javelinas and the Hilltoppers will meet again on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 1 p.m. and one last time on Sunday, Feb. 3 at the same time.
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