LAREDO, Texas – Texas A&M International baseball swept its Saturday doubleheader against Eastern New Mexico, winning a close game one, 7-6, before dominating game two to the tune of 16-0.
GAME 1: Texas A&M International 7 Eastern New Mexico 6
TAMIU opened the scoring in the bottom of the second inning, taking a 3-0 lead. Senior
Ariben Gutierrez opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly, then was followed by a two RBI double from freshman
Alex Lugo.
Eastern New Mexico responded in the top of the third with three runs of its own to make it even yet again at 3-3.
The Dustdevils regained the lead in the fourth inning when Gutierrez scored on a Greyhound fielding error to make it 4-3.
TAMIU then posted three runs in the bottom of the fifth to open its lead to 7-3. Junior
Antonio Buentello started things with an RBI single, was immediately followed by Gutierrez with an RBI single and sophomore
Daniel Quiroz drove in the third run with a single of his own.
Eastern New Mexico didn't go away quietly, cutting the score to 7-6 in the top of the seventh with a three-run home run, but that was the end of the scoring.
Senior
Abanny Garcia got the start and in the complete game, he allowed six runs, ten hits, one walk and struck out 10.
Offensively, TAMIU scattered nine hits, with graduate student
Daniel Hernandez, Buentello and Lugo all having two hits each.
GAME 2: Texas A&M International 16 Eastern New Mexico 0
TAMIU dominated game two of the doubleheader, thanks to an offensive onslaught.
The Dustdevils plated four in the second to take a 4-0 lead, behind an RBI hit by pitch by junior
Beto Cervantes, an RBI walk by Lugo, sacrifice fly by Hernandez and an RBI single by Gutierrez.
In the fourth inning, TAMIU led 5-0 after a solo homer by senior
Ronnie Bailey.
The Dustdevils went to work in the fourth inning, plating 10 runs in the frame, with 16 batters coming to bat.
In the inning, Hernandez had another sacrifice fly, Bailey walked in a run, Hargens hit a grand slam, graduate student
Luis Flores notched a two RBI single and fellow graduate senior
Sergio Esqueda and Flores both scored on wild pitches, all to make it 15-0.
The final TAMIU run came in the bottom of the fifth when Flores hit an RBI single to drive in his third run of the game.
Sophomore
Jan Cabrera started game two and allowed two runs, two walks and fanned seven.
Freshman
Brandon Salazar worked one innings and allowed two hits, walked one and struck out two.
Senior
Brandon Butler shut the door allowing two hits and one strikeout in two innings.
The Dustdevils totaled 13 hits in the contest, with Gutierrez going 3-for-4 and Flores going 2-for-2. Eight others contributed a hit in the contest and the team drew seven walks and four hit by pitches.
TAMIU looks for its first sweep of the season as they conclude the series against the Greyhounds on Sunday, Apr. 24 at 1 p.m. in the final home game of the season and senior day. The Dustdevils will celebrate the careers of Bailey, Butler Esqueda, Flores and
Ricky Garcia pregame.
