Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2
Courtesy Laredo Morning Times:
SAN ANTONIO (March 8, 2013) - Just three days after beating No. 12 Incarnate Word at home, the Texas A&M International baseball notched a win over a top-10 team.
The Dustdevils split a doubleheader in San Antonio at the nation’s No. 9 team in St. Mary’s. The Rattlers — who began the season as the No. 2 team in the country — won the first game 3-1 before TAMIU took game two, 3-2.
“I thought we played well today in both games,” Dustdevils head coach Chad Porter said. “In the first game we just couldn’t get much going (offensively) but we played well and Jerry (Hawkins) pitched well. They just beat us. I told the guys in between games we played well and if we kept grinding we would have a real chance to win and we were able to do that in game two.
Both TAMIU and St. Mary’s came into the game tied atop the Heartland Conference in the loss column. The Dustdevils moved to 14-6 with a 9-4 league record while St. Mary’s is 15-5 with a 13-4 conference record.
In the first game, TAMIU faced off against St. Mary’s top starter Carl O’Neal, who came into the game with a 4-1 record and 0.54 ERA. He had given up just two runs in 33.1 innings.
Despite a complete game from Dustdevils starter Jerry Hawkins (6 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 K, 2 BB), the senior dropped to 3-1 on the season. TAMIU’s hitters struggled with O’Neal as they went three-and-out in five innings and left the bases loaded in the other two. O’Neal finished allowing one run on one hit with five walks and three strikeouts in six innings of work. Jonathan Perez lowered his ERA to 0.68 in 11 appearances as he picked up his fifth save with a perfect seventh inning for the Rattlers.
“I thought Jerry threw the ball great,” Porter said. “He got ahead of hitters and did a great job of finishing hitters off and letting our defense work. He had good stuff today.
“We were putting together good at bats we just couldn’t get anything to fall. We just couldn’t get those runners in and (O’Neal) did a good job of buckling down.”
The team’s lone run came in the first inning after shortstop Alvaro Rondon had a leadoff walk then advanced to third after two wild pitches. Alex McKeon grounded out to score him three batters later.
In the second game, Dustdevil starter Abdel Rivera continued his impressive run in 2013 by shutting down the league’s No. 2 offense. Rivera threw seven innings giving up two runs on seven hits while walking one and striking out three to get the win. He moved to 5-1 this season with a team-low 1.54 ERA.
Jared Curnel picked up his first save closing out the last two innings allowing just one hit.
“I think that (Abdel) has just done what he’s done the entire year,” Porter said. “ He’s just getting ahead of hitters and throwing quality two-strike pitches. He got a lot of ground balls today and just did a great job.”
TAMIU’s offense scored in just one inning, but that was enough for Rivera and Curnel. The Dustdevils put all three runs on the board in the fifth after Hector Gonzalez beat out the throw to first avoiding the inning-ending double play to score Sean Smedley. Alex Salas broke it open one batter later with a 2-RBI double plating Rondon and Jeff Anderson.
TAMIU will look to get the series win against nationally-ranked St. Mary’s in the rubber match tomorrow in a game that had its start time moved an hour earlier to noon. Baylr Bickerton (1-0, 3.86) is slated to start his second game of the season.
“(A win) would be huge,” Porter said. “Our goal is to win every series and that’s no different with this team. For us to do good things this year we need to win series that we have a chance to win. We need to get it done.”
