ABILENE, Texas – It took nearly three hours for Texas A&M International to salvage its 3-game series against Heartland Conference rival McMurry on Saturday, but a 13-2 eight-inning victory did the trick. The Dustdevils were swept in a doubleheader on Friday.

With the victory, TAMIU improves to 13-23 overall and 5-13 in conference play. They now sit in sixth place in the standings, three games behind Arkansas-Fort Smith and the University of Texas of the Permian Basin – which are tied for the fourth and final postseason spot with 8-10 records in league play. Only the top four finishers in conference play – excluding provisional members – will qualify for the postseason tournament. TAMIU has just 12 conference games remaining – with six coming at Jorge Haynes Field and six coming on the road.

Both the Dustdevils and McMurry scored a run in each's respective half of the first inning. The Dustdevils tabbed another run in the third before exploding for seven runs in the fourth inning, one in the seventh and three more in the eighth inning of the run-shortened game. McMurry scored only once after its first-inning run, coming in the eighth.

It all started in the initial frame when Connor Belvin plated Andrew Arteaga with a RBI single to right field. Alex McKeon pushed Michael Colorado across with a RBI double to left-center field.

The Dustdevils sizzled in the fourth inning, starting with a leadoff walk by Jake Cardoza. He stole second base before taking third when Daniel Cruz singled to put runners on the corners. Gordie Taggart plated Cardoza and put two runners in scoring position with a RBI double to left field. A new McMurry pitcher didn't stop the bleeding as Ryan Jozwiak raked a two-RBI double to left-center field. Colorado then walked and both baserunners advanced on a wild pitch. Another two-RBI double – this time by Nathan Halas – forced another pitching change. Arteaga and McKeon drew back-to-back walks to set up a Belvin RBI single. The inning's first two outs were recorded when Cardoza batted for the second time in the frame, grounding into a double play but seeing Halas score. Cruz finally ended the inning with a ground out.

TAMIU's bats went relatively silent until the seventh inning when Halas reached on a RBI fielder's choice, scoring Cruz. In the eighth inning, Jozwiak and Colorado both drew RBI walks and Halas was hit by a pitch to drive in the team's final run.

The Dustdevils raked 13 hits, led by two hits apiece by McKeon (2-for-3, 2 walks), Belvin (2-for-4, walk) and Taggart (2-for-5). Halas went 1-for-4 with a double and sacrifice fielder's choice, Arteaga walked and went 1-for-5, Cardoza and Cruz (1-for-3) walked twice, and Jozwiak (1-for-3) and Colorado (1-for-2) walked twice and three times – respectively.

McKeon, Belvin and Cardoza each swiped a bag as well.

Clay Phillip (2-1) pitched the complete-game with two strike outs, two walks and two runs allowed – one earned – off nine hits. McMurry used five pitchers throughout the game.

The Dustdevils will now travel to play Texas A&M-Kingsville on April 8 at 6 p.m. before return home for a conference showdown with Newman on April 11-12. The series starts with a doubleheader on April 11 at 1 p.m.