CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - Texas Southern baseball won a wild affair with 12 runs over the final two innings to claim a 14-13 comeback win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Tuesday night.
TSU jumped out to a 1-0 lead after the top of the first as Jesse Herrera III reached base off an error and scored on Jaden Flores' RBI single. The lead was brief as the Islanders responded with an eight-run bottom of the first to jump ahead 8-1. Despite the setback, TSU never let its heads down as Flores' RBI scored Jason Lazo for an 8-2 margin in the third but Texas A&M-Corpus Christi answered with a run in the fourth to lead 9-2.Â
Things would change quickly for TSU in the top of the seventh in an instant.
Bryce Hughes led the inning off with a hit-by-pitch followed by an Islander throwing error which allowed Elijah Rodriguez to reach base. Ryan Melendez loaded the bases with a walk and Jose Villalobos drove in the third run of the night with an RBI single. The Islanders switched pitchers but TSU kept the pressure on as a throwing error moved the margin to 9-4.
Kelton Phillips' RBI single cut the score to 9-5 followed by Damian Garcia's three-RBI double which drew TSU to within 9-8. Another Islander error led to a 9-9 tie and Hughes' single moved TSU ahead 10-9. Melendez's two-RBI double gave TSU a 12-9 advantage as Rodriguez and Hughes crossed home.
A two-run homer in the seventh narrowed the lead to 12-11 but TSU kept fighting in the eighth as Flores drew a one-out walk and scored on Garcia's RBI double. Hughes recorded another RBI as Garcia scored to make it 14-11.
The Islanders opened the bottom of the eighth with two singles and eventually loaded the base with one out. A bases loaded walk and a throwing error scored two more runs but TSU got out the inning with a defensive rundown.
With the game on the line in the bottom of the ninth, the Islanders had the tying and winning runs on base with one out but reliever Leeroy Tavarez forced a popout and fielder's choice to seal the win.
Garia finished 2-for-2 with four RBI and two runs scored while Hughes had two RBI and was 2-for-4. Flores and Melendez both had two RBI.
Sidney Moore earned his first career win at TSU after two innings of relief while Tavarez logged his first save after two innings of relief.
TSU starts SWAC play Friday at Mississippi Valley State in Itta Bena, Miss. at 4 p.m.
