Feb. 4, 2012

Final Stats

LAREDO, Texas - The Texas A&M International University Baseball Team opened its season on the right foot Friday afternoon, sweeping U.T. Permian Basin in the Dustdevils season opening doubleheader. The Dustdevils took game one in thrilling fashion 7-6 and game two 2-1.

In the opening game Kevin Daniels played the role of hero, capping a three run bottom of the seventh with a walk-off single scoring Austin Voros to secure the victory.

The Dustdevils struck first in the third inning, scoring two runs courtesy of two wild pitches and a passed ball. Voros helped TAMIU extend their lead to 3-0 in the fourth after reaching on an error and then scoring on a passed ball. The Falcons got a run back in the fifth, but the Dustdevils answered in the sixth with Voros scoring his second run of the game on an error from the Falcons pitcher. The Dustdevils seemed to have the game in hand leading 4-1 heading into the final inning... but that's when disaster struck.

TAMIU walked five and hit three UTPB batters in the top half of the seventh, allowing the Falcons to score five runs to take a 6-4 lead. The Dustdevils went through three different pitchers in the inning before Marty Bigham finally picked up a strikeout to retire the side.

Alex Salas got things going in the bottom half with a one-out double to left field, before advancing to third on a wild pitch. Ramon Sandoval kept the rally going with a two-out double to center scoring Salas to pull TAMIU within one. Voros followed suit with a single scoring Sandoval, then advancing to second on a throwing error. Two batters later, Kevin Daniels ripped a single into left field scoring Voros from second for the game winner.

Though the win went to sophomore Marty Bigham, senior Roberto Castillo pitched a stellar game for the Dustdevils going four and two thirds innings ... giving up only one run on two hits while striking out six.

In the second game the Dustdevils allowed a quick run in the first inning and trailed all the way to the seventh, before the TAMIU offense finally broke through. Castillo led off the inning with a walk, followed by a double to left center from Ramon Sandoval scoring pinch runner Jeremy Olivo. Two batters later junior Jaron Shimmel plated the go ahead run scoring Sandoval from second on an RBI single to right field.

Ryan Williams and Jerry Hawkins were outstanding in the final two innings for TAMIU, shutting down the UTPB hitters and wrapping up the Dustdevils second victory. The winning pitcher was junior Julio Velez, but junior Manolo Mendoza was terrific on the hill, going five and a third, giving up only one run on three hits.

The Dustdevils start the season 2-0 in conference play and will host UTPB in the final game of the series Saturday afternoon at 12 noon at Jorge Haynes Field.