Aggies rally to split with No. 8 Javelinas
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LAWTON, Okla. (March 11) - Mark Armstrong's ninth-inning RBI-double lifted the Cameron baseball team a thrilling extra-inning victory over eighth-ranked Texas A&M-Kingsville on Saturday.
Armstrong's two-out hit gave Cameron a 7-6 win in the second game of a Lone Star Conference doubleheader and helped the Aggies avoid a weekend sweep against the Javelinas, who won Saturday's opening game 7-2.
Cameron would have had to wait another inning to try for the win, if not for a Texas A&M-Kingsville miscue that kept the Aggies alive in the ninth. B.J. Cole and Greg Patton grounded out to open the inning and C.J. Nelson sent a bouncer to Javelina second baseman Justin Bills, appearing to end the inning. But the ball bounced away from Bills and Nelson reached on the error. Armstrong followed with a shot to the gap and Nelson chugged around from first to score the unearned run.
Texas A&M-Kingsville had built a commanding 6-2 lead before the Aggies scored the final five runs of the game to complete the rally. Trailing 6-2 in the fifth, Cameron plated four runs, including two on a double by Matt Machinski. With two outs in the inning, Machinski laced a Brandon Hevner offering to the gap in left-center, scoring Cole and Josh Mathiesen to tie the game. Machinski tried for third on the play and looked to have a sliding triple, but he was called out by the field umpire to end the rally.
Cameron got off to a 2-0 lead in the first on John Herbert's two-run homer to right field. The Javelinas countered with four runs in the third, including a two-run homer by Andrew Sweet, to take a 4-2 lead.
The Javelinas stretched the lead to four runs in the fifth, scoring two runs on an L.J. Willis wild pitch and Steve Yaden's fielder's choice grounder.
Javelina reliever Matt Emerson, who entered the game to start the bottom of the ninth inning, took the loss on the mound. Ryan Bengert, who entered for Willis with two outs in the fifth, got the win for the Aggies by allowing just two hits in just over four innings of work.
Texas A&M-Kingsville out-hit the Aggies 13-7 in the game, but committed two costly errors.
In Saturday's first contest, the Javelinas picked up right where they left off offensively after torching Aggie pitchers for 24 runs and 28 hits on Friday. A&M-Kingsville sent eight men to the plate in the first inning, scoring four runs on just three hits. Aggie starter Ryan Totte walked two of the first three batters he faced and Taylor Richards swatted a two-run homer to left field, staking the Javelinas to a quick 4-0 advantage.
Cameron cut the lead in half in the bottom of the first getting an RBI-double by Cole and a run-scoring single from Nelson to make it 4-2.
But TAMUK starter Chris Nabors settled in from there, holding the Aggies hitless the rest of the game while tossing a complete-game three-hitter. Nabors (3-0) retired the Aggie lineup in order from the second inning on, facing just three batters over the minimum in the game.
The Javelinas added to their lead with runs in the third and fourth innings on an RBI-double by Sweet and a J.M Devarie sacrifice fly. Emerson added a scrifice fly in the seventh to forge the final score.
Totte took the loss on the mound for the Aggies, allowing 10 hits and seven earned runs in the complete-game effort. He struck out four and walked four.
Cameron returns to action on Wednesday, travelling to Chickasha to face the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma in a doubleheader at USAO's Bill Smith Ballpark. The Aggies will also visit Eastern New Mexico University next week, before returning home to host nationally ranked Abilene Christian in a four-game series beginning Friday, March 24.
