Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
By Zach Davis
Laredo Morning Times
After their season-long losing streak stretched to six games in a game one loss on Friday, the Texas A&M International baseball team finally got back in the win column.
In the process, they lost their top two starting pitchers.
The Dustdevils won the second game of a doubleheader in Odessa at Texas of the Permian Basin with a 12-5 victory. TAMIU lost the opening game of the day, 3-0.
“It feels good,” Dustdevils head coach Chad Porter said. “It just didn’t seem like for a few games there that things were going our way. We weren’t playing bad baseball, so it just feels good to get a win — especially a conference win.”
While the team finally put their season-long losing streak in the rear-view mirror, a potentially much bigger problem emerged. TAMIU watched as their top two starting pitchers both left their games due to injury.
Senior Jerry Hawkins (3-2, 3.95 ERA) suffered a left knee injury in the first inning covering first base on a double play. He is scheduled to get an MRI in Laredo after the team returns following today’s game.
Junior Abdel Rivera (5-1, 2.47) left the second game after being hit in his right shoulder from a line drive. He continued to pitch but Porter said it “tightened up” on him and he did not return after four innings. Rivera allowed two runs on three hits in a no-decision.
“That’s two guys that usually get us deep into baseball games and two guys that are throwing the ball really well for us,” Porter said. “That’s life and we have got to deal with it.”
TAMIU has struggled since earning the No. 18 rank in the nation losing a season-high five straight coming into the doubleheader. After going 1-1 against UTPB, the Dustdevils move to 17-12 on the season with a 12-8 record in the Heartland Conference. They are in fourth place in the league, 3.5 games back of first place St. Mary’s (19-9, 16-5 Heartland), two games back of St. Edward’s (18-7, 13-5) and one back of Arkansas-Fort Smith (14-9, 12-6).
In the second game, the score was tied through six as TAMIU faced the possibility of their losing streak moving to seven. The team rallied scoring four runs in both the seventh and eighth innings as they put away the Falcons, 12-5.
“The guys did a great job of grinding and coming back in the late innings of game two,” Porter said. “We faced some adversity today losing our starters of both games to injuries. We had to go to our pitching staff and use a lot of pitchers today so it was good to see the offense step up and give us a lead that we were able to get comfortable with.”
First baseman Alex McKeon led the team offensively going 3 for 4 at the plate in the second game of the doubleheader while scoring twice and driving in three while senior second baseman Jaron Shimmel (2 for 4) also racked up a team-high 3 RBI while scoring once.
The Dustdevils had five players cross the plate twice including left fielder Ryan Jozwiak, third baseman Alex Salas, McKeon, designated hitter Matt Garcia and catcher Sean Smedley.
Jared Curnel (2-0, 3.35) won his second game in relief allowing one run on three hits in 1.2 innings.
Also pitching out of the bullpen for the Dustdevils included Stephen Dickerson (1.1 IP, H, 2 R, BB), Donald Fennell (0 IP, 2 H) and Manolo Mendoza (2 IP, 2 H, BB, K).
In the first game on Friday, TAMIU’s struggles continued as the team racked up just two hits offensively in a 3-0 loss.
Falcons starter Brett Rogers (4-4, 2.20) threw all seven innings giving up just a pair of hits while striking out five. He was much more successful than the last time he faced the Dustdevils as they tagged him for four runs on nine hits in just three innings on Feb. 1.
“We just had less than desirable approaches at times at the plate,” Porter said. “That’s what it boils down to. He just did a wonderful job of keeping us off balance and the defense made plays when they needed to.”
McKeon (1 for 3) and Jozwiak (1 for 2) tallied the lone hits for TAMIU.
With Hawkins going down early, Baylr Bickerton came into the game despite being the typical No. 3 starter and gave up two runs on four hits in 4.1 innings of work. He also walked two and struck out six. Fennell pitched the final inning giving up one run.
With Bickerton pitching Friday, junior Dino Cristiani (1-4, 5.40) will be making his second start of the season in the series finale today at 1 p.m.
“(Dino) has been that guy all year that has done a great job for us and we know can start,” Porter said. “He will go tomorrow and after that we are going to have to ‘Johnny Wholestaff’ it.”
