Feb. 6, 2009

Final Stats

Texas A&M International University opened Dustdevil Field, its new on-campus facility, with a doubleheader split with UT-Permian Basin on Friday afternoon. The twin bill was also the Heartland Conference opener for both teams.

UTPB won the opener 12-3 before TAMIU claimed a 4-2 win in game two. The Dustdevils held a 2-1 lead after four innings in the opener but the Falcons came up with 11 runs over the final three innings to claim the big win.

UTPB (3-2, 1-1 Heartland) jumped to a 6-2 lead in the fifth inning on the strength of a two-RBI single by Christoper Hook and a three-run home run by Carson Grizzard. John Gonzáles (1-1) took the loss for the Dustdevils after allowing four runs in only 0.1 innings of work.

TAMIU (2-3, 1-1) got off to a quick start in game two as well, jumping out to a 3-0 first inning lead. Enrique Granados capped that inning with a two-RBI double to left center.

Strong pitching took over for the Dustdevils at that point. Starter B.J. Valadez allowed one run on three scattered hits over the first six innings before running into a little trouble in the seventh inning. He allowed a lead-off home run and two, two-out singles in that frame before being relieved by Roger González.

González got the first batter he faced to ground out to end the threat. He then retired the Falcons in order in the eighth inning. The leadoff batter in the ninth reached base on an infield error but González got the next batter to ground into a 4-6-3 double play before recording the final out on a fly out to right field.

Valadez picked up his first win and González his first save of the season.

The two teams will conclude the three-game series tomorrow with a single game. First pitch is scheduled for noon.