THE BASICS:
 

• Score: #5/14 West Texas A&M 4, #19 Texas A&M-Kingsville 9

 

• Records: West Texas A&M 15-3, Texas A&M-Kingsville 13-2

 

• Location: Kingsville, Texas (Nolan Ryan Field)

 

• The Lead: The No. 5/14 West Texas A&M baseball team dropped a 9-4 decision at No. 19 Texas A&M-Kingsville in the opener of a four-game, non-conference series Friday evening.  The teams will play a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m. and conclude the series Sunday at 1 p.m. with a single game.

 
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
 

• Texas A&M-Kingsville got on the board first in the bottom of the opening frame as Levi Zents singled home a run after Christian Caudle singled, but Austin Ingraham was gunned down at the plate from a great throw from senior Bodie Bryan in center field to senior catcher Brandon Marrero.
• WT responded in the top of the second with a run, helped out by a TAMUK miscue, as the Buffs loaded the bases for senior Nelson Paredes who singled home a run for a 1-1 score with one away.The Buffs were unable to do any further damage in the inning as they left the bases full.
• In the third, WT added another run as senior Nick Canas doubled to right center, plating senior Luis Amaro, for a 2-1 lead.
• WT added two more runs in the fourth for a 4-1 lead as Marrero began the inning with a single and junior Justice Nakagawa doubled to left center.
• Bryan came up with a big two RBI double to follow for the 4-1 lead with one away, once again, but the Buffs stranded two this time.
• In the bottom of the inning, TAMUK plated five runs with a two RBI single and a RBI double for three runs, followed by another RBI double and a RBI single for a 6-4 lead.
• From there, TAMUK pulled starter Preston Plovanich in favor of Joshua Valdez who went the rest of the way, allowing five hits and fanned six holding the Buffs scoreless.
• The Javelinas added a run in the fifth on a Ingraham solo home run to begin the frame and added single runs in the seventh and eighth for a 9-4 lead.
• WT loaded the bases again with one out in the ninth, but Valdez came up with a strikeout and a fly out to end the game.

 
 
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
 

• The Buffs saw their five-game winning streak end, as TAMUK won for just the third time in the last 12 meetings.
• WT had four runs on 11 hits with no errors, while TAMUK scored nine runs on 15 hits with one error.
• The Buffs stranded 11 on base in the game, while the Javelinas left five on base.
• Bryan went 2 for 5 with two RBI, while Amaro, the reigning LSC Player of the Week, went 2 for 5 with a run scored.
• Junior hurler Joe Corbett suffered his first loss of the season as he went 3.2 innings, allowing eight hits, six earned runs, walked two and fanned four.He fell to 4-1 on the year.
• Valdez (1-0) earned the win in relief of Plovanich as Plovanich went 4.0 innings, allowing six hits, four runs – three earned, walked three and fanned two.
• Zents was 3 for 4 with a RBI for the Javelinas, while Ingraham was 2 for 4 with two runs scored and two RBI, including the round-tripper.

 
 
UP NEXT:
 

• The Buffs and Javelinas continue the series tomorrow and Sunday, while WT then will head home to host Angelo State next Friday for a four-game series, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Wilder Park.
• Check www.gobuffsgo.com on the baseball schedule page for links to live stats and audio/video streaming of the games all season long.

 
 
STAY CONNECTED:
 
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