LAREDO, Texas (March 22, 2018) - The Texas A&M International University Baseball team opened a four-game Heartland Conference series against Arkansas-Fort Smith on Thursday. The series marks the opening of Heartland Conference play in the 2018 season. The Dustdevils won game one 3-2 before falling 1-11 in game two. The Dustdevils move to 9-14 overall and 1-1 in Heartland Conference play. 

GAME 1: TAMIU 3 - UAFS 2
Eleazar Rojas got the nod in game one, tossing six innings for the Dustdevils. Rojas fanned eight batters while allowing just four hits and a pair of runs. Mauro Luna tossed the final frame, allowing just one hit. The Dustdevils and Lions found themseleves in a tie at one through five innings before UAFS took a 2-1 lead in the sixth. The Dustdevils would use their third walk-off of the season to take a 3-2 win. 

HIGHLIGHTS:
Rojas is Back: Eleazar Rojas had made three starts prior to Thursday's game one start, striking out 29 over 20 innings of work. The Senior got right back into the swing of things, picking up eight strikeouts over six innings to push his total to 37 in 26 innings. 

New Day, New Hero: The Dustdevils have picked up three of their nine wins in the final frame of a game this season. Mario Ramirez led the last walk-off effort in a win over Lubbock Christian before Ricky Gonzalez came in the clutch on Thursday. With a 3-2 count in the bottom of the seventh inning, Gonzalez roped a double to deep center, driving in the tying and winning run. 

Toe to Toe: The Dustdevils and Lions played an even game one as each team tallied five hits over seven innings. While UAFS hit two home runs, it would be TAMIU coming out on top after Gonzalez's heroics. 

GAME 2: TAMIU 1 - UAFS 11
Eric Cleveland made his fifth start on the mound in game two on Thursday. Celeveland tossed two innings, fanning three batters. The Lions would strike for three runs under Cleveland's watch before he was relieved by Hugo Mendiola. Mendiola would toss six and a third innings, striking out six while five earned runs crossed the plate. Mark Trimble tossed the final two thirds, fanning one. 

HIGHLIGHTS:
Ahead Early: The Dustdevils jumped out to the early lead in game two, putting up a run in the bottom of the first inning. Abel Aguilar lined a double down the left field line, scoring Ceasar Espinosa. 

The Bats Were Alive: The Dustdevils picked up nine hits in game two but managed just the first inning run. The Dustdevils picked up 14 hits on the day. 

A Pair of Hits for Four: Espinoa, Aguilar, Mathew Trevino, and Mario Ramirez each picked up two hits in the game two loss. 

UP NEXT:
The four-game series concludes on Friday at Uni-trade Stadium. The Dustdevils and Lions are set to begin action at 12:00 p.m. The first 200 fans in the gate will receive a free foam finger.