Box Score, Game 1
Box Score, Game 2
STEPHENVILLE – The Tarleton Texans and Texas A&M-Kingsville Javelinas combined for 37 runs and 59 hits in the first doubleheader of a four-game Lone Star Conference series at Cecil Ballow Baseball Complex in Stephenville on Saturday. TAMUK took the first game 10-7 before Tarleton answered back with a 10-run rule 15-5 win in the night cap.
The Texans (14-17, 11-15 LSC) fell behind early in game one and never recovered, but the offense exploded for a season-high 22 hits in game two to earn the split with the Javelinas (18-15, 14-12 LSC).
The Javelinas opened the game with a home run from their lead-off hitter, Clifton Thomas. Tarleton then countered in the bottom of the inning when Junnior Dishmey scored following a throwing error by the shortstop.
With the score tied 1-1, TAMUK opened the game up with a five-run fifth inning that included back-to-back homers from A.J. Decker and Adrian Williams.
The Texans scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning to make it a 6-3 game. Dishmey led off the inning with a single. He then advanced to third on Mark Jeffery's single to right field and then came home to score when the right fielder bobbled the ball. Jeffery moved to second on the play, stole third and then scored on a wild pitch.
The Javelinas scored a run in the top of the fourth on an RBI-single from Cody Stigall to make it 7-3, but Tarleton brought in another pair of runs in the bottom of the inning. Andy Wolfe singled and Taylor James followed with a single to left field. Nathan Hille then reached first with a bunt single and advanced to second on a throwing error from the pitcher. That allowed Wolfe to score and move James to third. James then scored on a sacrifice groundout from Dishmey to make it a 7-5 game.
TAMUK added to its lead with a three-run fifth inning in the top of the fifth. Jared Moore and Trent Wagner each singled and then came home to score on Thomas' triple to center field. Thomas then scored on Brandon Rohr's single that lined right off of Chris Casazza's glove at third which made it a 10-5 game.
Taylor James reached first and advanced to second on an error to lead off the bottom of the sixth and then he later scored on Hille's double to left field. Hille then came around to score on a groundout from Casazza, but it would be Tarleton's final run of the game as the Texans fell 10-7.
Ryan Salt (2-3) was saddled with the loss after giving up all 10 runs on 17 hits while walking one and striking out three.
David de Leon (6-1) picked up the win for the Javelinas after giving up seven runs on nine hits and striking out three. Clay Stephens worked the final two innings for TAMUK and picked up his first save of the season.
The Texans opened the second game with a bang on offense, scoring two runs in the first and five more in the second to take a commanding 7-0 lead. Dishmey led off the bottom of the first with a single and Jeffery followed with a single through the left side. Zane Hensley then singled through the right side to load the bases up. Tim Rainey then drove in Dishmey on a sacrifice fly to center and Jeffery scored on Charlie Ulbricht's RBI-single to left field.
Heath Petty then led off the second inning with an infield single and moved over to third on Hille's single through the right side. Dishmey then singled home Petty and Jeffery moved both runners to second and third on a sacrifice bunt. Casazza followed with a two-RBI double and then advanced to third on a pass ball. Then Hensley singled and Casazza came around to score. Rainey and Ulbricht followed with singles to load the bases and Hensley then scored on Wolfe's sacrifice fly to left field.
Tarleton plated home two more runs in the third inning on Hensley's sacrifice fly and Rainey's RBI-single to make it a 9-0 game after three innings. TAMUK answered with a pair of runs in the top of the fourth to make it a 9-2 game.
A sacrifice fly from Hillie and Casazza's two-RBI single pushed Tarleton's lead 11-2 after four innings before the Javelinas drove in a run in the top of the fifth to make it 11-3.
Both teams scored a pair of runs in the sixth inning making it a 14-5 game still in favor of the Texans and then in the seventh inning with runners at second and third with two outs, Hillie singled to center field and Wolfe scored giving the Texans a 15-5 win following the 10-run rule.
Kenneth Stockton (4-2) picked up his team leading fourth win going the distance, allowing five runs on 11 hits and striking out four batters.
Dishmey was a perfect 5-for-5 in the doubleheader, going 1-for-1 in game one with an RBI and two runs scored, while going 4-for-4 with three RBI and five runs scored in game two. He belted his first career home run for the Texans, a two-run shot to left field, in the sixth inning of game two.
Casazza bounced back from an 0-for-4 game in game one with a 4-for-5 performance in the night cap, and all nine batters had at least one hit in the second game.
The Javelinas used four different pitchers in game two, but it was starter Robert Cox (1-3) who was hit with the loss after giving up the first seven runs on eleven hits in 1.1 innings pitched.
The Texans and Javelinas will return to action again tomorrow to conclude the series. First pitch of game one on Saturday is set for 1 p.m.
