LAREDO, Texas – Texas A&M International baseball battled Lone Star Conference foe Texas A&M-Kingsville in non-conference action on Tuesday, and in an offense filled game, it was the Javelinas topping the Dustdevils, 24-10.
TAMIU (4-5, 4-4 LSC) opened with the lead in the bottom of the first, when sophomore Jose Rivera singled in a run to make it 1-0.
TAMUK responded immediately, posting seven runs in the top of the second, with the benefit of two home runs to take a 7-1 lead.
The Dustdevils chipped away at the deficit in the fourth inning, scoring three runs to make it 7-4.
Freshman
Andrew Leal opened the scoring with a solo home run for his first career collegiate hit, while junior
Isaac Gonzalez and senior
Brock Hargens followed with an RBI double and sacrifice fly respectively.
TAMIU trimmed the lead to 7-5 in the bottom of the fifth inning on an RBI walk by sophomore
Daniel Quiroz.
The Javelinas regained the lead and then some in the seventh and eighth inning, scoring four runs in the seventh and two in the eighth to take a 13-5 lead.
The Dustdevils got a run back in the bottom of the eighth behind an RBI double from junior
Mario Chacon to make it 13-6.
However, TAMUK exploded to score 11 runs in the ninth inning before TAMIU recorded an out to open a 24-6 lead.
Despite the deficit, the Dustdevils fought until the end as Leal and junior
Cameron Yeldell belted back-to-back home runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to make it 24-8, followed later by a Hargens to RBI double to make it the final of 24-10.
10 TAMIU pitchers got work on the mound in the non-conference clash, while on the offensive end, Gonzalez, Hargens and Leal allled the team with two hits each.
The Dustdevils now get themselves ready for a return to conference play beginning on Friday, Feb. 18 against UAFS. First pitch from Laredo is scheduled for 2 p.m.
