LAREDO, Texas – After falling on opening day, Texas A&M International baseball responded with two dominating performances, defeating UT Permian Basin 15-6 and 9-1 in seven-inning, doubleheader action.
 
GAME 1: Texas A&M International 15 UT Permian Basin 6
 
The Dustdevils wasted no time getting the offense rolling, posting a three spot in the bottom of the first to take a 3-0 lead.
 
Senior Ronnie Bailey continued his hot start with a two RBI double, while fellow senior Ariben Gutierrez drove in a run on a fielder's choice just a few batters later.
 
UTPB would respond in the top of the second with two runs to cut the lead to 3-2, but TAMIU added another two runs off a home run by junior Beto Cervantes to make it 5-2.
 
In the bottom of the third, junior Matt Kissamis homered to make it 6-2, the Dustdevils exploded for seven runs in the bottom of the fourth to take a commanding 13-2 lead.
 
Junior Leeandro Alfonzo scored on a wild pitch to open the fourth inning scoring, followed by a Cervantes two RBI single, a bases clearing, three RBI triple by graduate student Sergio Esqueda and then an RBI single by Alfonzo.
 
Kissamis made the score 14-2 with an RBI double in the bottom of the fifth, and the Falcons followed in the top of the six to make it 14-3.
 
The final run for TAMIU came in the bottom of the sixth when graduate student Dan Hernandez scored on a wild pitch.
 
UTPB got three runs off a home run in the top of the seventh, but the Dustdevils closed the door on game one after.
 
Senior Abanny Garcia got the start and in the victory allowed two runs (one earned), four hits, two walks and struck out five over five innings of work.
 
Freshman Emilio Duque pitched the final two innings in relief and allowed four runs, two hits, one walk and one strikeout.
 
Kissamis led the way with a 3-for-3 outing at the plate with two RBI and two runs scored. Cervantes would finish 2-for-3 with four RBI and Esqueda would also go 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored.
 
GAME 2: Texas A&M International 9 UT Permian Basin 1
 
After a rapid, scoreless first inning, TAMIU got to work, scoring three runs combined in the second and third innings.
 
In the second inning, junior Cameron Yeldell drove in the lone run of the inning on an RBI single, then in the second inning, Kissamis drove in two runs on a double.
 
Once again the fourth inning was lights out for the Dustdevil offense, scoring six runs in the inning to open up a 9-0 lead.
 
Esqueda made the game 5-0 on a two RBI single, followed by a Hernandez sacrifice fly to make it 6-0, then three walks drawn by Kissamis, junior Antonio Buentello and Gutierrez to make it 9-0.
 
The lone UTPB run came in the seventh inning on a sacrifice fly.
 
Sophomore Jan Cabrera made his TAMIU debut in stellar fashion, taking a no-hitter into the fourth inning of the seven inning contest. He allowed one hit, one walk and struck out seven in his five innings of work.
 
Freshman Tristan Cavazos Reichwald pitched a scoreless sixth inning in relief, allowing a walk and earning a strikeout, while junior Steven Grimes finished the game in the seventh, allowing one run, two hits and a walk.
 
TAMIU looks to win the series tomorrow afternoon, when they face the Falcons in game four of the season series. Originally scheduled for 12 p.m., the game will now have a first pitch time of 1 p.m. from Jorge Haynes Field.