LAREDO, Texas – Texas A&M International baseball finished its Saturday doubleheader on Sunday afternoon after darkness suspended game two in at the end of the fifth inning. St. Mary's took the opener 14-9, while the Dustdevils bounced back to win game two 11-6.
 
GAME 1: St. Mary's 14 Texas A&M International 9
 
After Friday's 13-3 victory in eight innings, the TAMIU offense picked up where they left off, jumping ahead early.
 
In the bottom of the first, the Dustdevils jumped ahead to a 4-0 lead off an RBI single by junior Matt Kissamis, RBI hit by pitch for senior Brock Hargens and a two RBI double from junior Beto Cervantes.
 
St. Mary's trimmed the deficit in half in the top of the second to make it 4-2, but TAMIU got those runs right back in the bottom of the second, thanks to a wild pitch and an error to plate the runs.
 
The Rattlers added a run in the top of the third to make it 6-3, but again the Dustdevils added two more runs off an RBI triple by graduate student Daniel Hernandez, who then scored on a wild pitch.
 
St. Mary's then exploded in the top of the fourth, scoring seven runs to take a 10-8 lead.
 
TAMIU cut the deficit to 10-9 on a Cervantes RBI single, but the Rattlers scored the final four runs of the game in the fifth to take the victory.
 
Senior Abanny Garcia got the start for the Dustdevils and in three innings allowed six runs, seven hits, three walks and struck out four.
 
Three members of the TAMIU bullpen combined to throw four innings, allowing eight runs, nine hits, four walks and four strikeouts.
 
Offensively, four Dustdevils had a two-hit game including Hargens (2-for-2, 1 BB, 1 RBI), Hernandez (2-for-4, 1 RBI), senior Ariben Gutierrez (2-for-3, 1 BB) and fellow senior Ronnie Bailey (2-for-4, 1 BB).
 
GAME 2: Texas A&M International 11 St. Mary's 6
 
Game two started the opposite way of games one and two, as it was St. Mary's who had the offense click quickly.
 
In the top of the second inning, the Rattlers jumped ahead to take a 4-0 lead.
 
TAMIU wasted no time responding, taking the lead 5-4 in the bottom of the second.
Gutierrez opened the scoring with an RBI single, followed by an RBI from graduate student Sergio Esqueda, RBI double by junior Leeandro Alfonzo and RBI groundout by Bailey.
 
After two quiet innings, St. Mary's took a 6-5 lead in the top of the fifth inning on a pair of RBI singles, but again the Dustdevils exploded offensively in the bottom of the fifth.
 
TAMIU plated six runs in the fifth to take an 11-6 lead thanks to RBI singles by junior Mario Chacon and Hargens, an RBI walk by Alfonzo, and three runs scoring by way of two wild pitches and a balk from the Rattlers pitching staff.
 
After the fifth inning, the game was suspended due to darkness and resumed
 
Sophomore Jan Cabrera took the mound for the Dustdevils and in five innings, allowed six runs, four hits, three walks and struck out six.
 
Senior Andrew Pavon pitched the final two innings after play resumed and allowed one hit and struck out four.
 
Leading the way at the dish for TAMIU was Chacon (2-for-3, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 RBI) and Kissamis (2-for-4, 1 R, 1 RBI). Five other Dustdevils contributed a hit to the stat sheet.
 
Earning at least a split of the series, game four takes place Sunday, Mar. 6, immediately following the conclusion of the doubleheader.