KINGSVILLE, Texas – University of Arkansas – Fort Smith Baseball split a doubleheader at Texas A&M-Kingsville Saturday, winning game one, 13-1, before the Javelinas earned a 4-3 walk-off win in the nightcap.
The Lions stand at 3-6, 2-4 Lone Star Conference after returning to play for the first time in three weeks, while A&M-Kingsville improves to 4-2, 4-2 LSC.
UAFS returns to the friendly confines of Crowder Field March 5-6 to host St. Edward's University.
UAFS 13, A&M-Kingsville 1 (7)
The Lions won their second game of the season via the run rule, scoring 13 runs on 12 hits. The Lions had three extra base hits on the afternoon.
On the mound, freshman right-hander Brayden Johnson earned his first win of the season, allowing one run on four hits in five innings. Johnson struck out six and walked three.
The offense scored in the first inning for the second straight game, when the Lions scored twice on a pair of fielder's choices.
In the third, the Lions extended the lead when junior designated hitter Cooper Van Kooten singled to center, driving in junior second baseman Morgan Crenshaw, who led off the inning with a double.
The Lions scored three runs in each of the fourth and fifth innings. Crenshaw delivered one run on a single in the fourth, with junior first baseman Nolan Riley and junior outfielder Logan Easley also contributing RBI singles.
Senior catcher Dylan Hurt had an RBI single in the fifth and scored on a two-run triple by junior shortstop Brenden Williams.
UAFS concluded the game by scoring four times in the seventh, with Williams driving in another run on a walk. All four runs were scored on ways other than a hit, with the remaining three runs being scored via a sac fly, error and walk.
Batting leadoff, Williams walked three times, driving in three runs and scoring three times. Crenshaw went 3-for-4 at the plate with three runs and two RBIs.
Van Kooten also drove in three, with junior outfielder Tristan Kalina and Hurt each adding two hits. Kalina scored three times and Hurt twice.
Freshman Jakob Petross went six up and six down in two innings of relief, striking out the side in the seventh.
A&M-Kingsville 4, UAFS 3
The Javelinas scored three times in the bottom of the ninth, capping the inning with an RBI single for the walk-off win. They homered to pull within one run before tying the game with an RBI double.
UAFS was held hitless until the seventh inning, before junior first baseman Nolan Riley broke up the no-hitter with a single to left. Riley later scored to tie the game on and RBI single by junior outfielder Tristan Kalina.
In the eighth, the Lions loaded the bases with one out and took a 2-1 lead on a sacrifice fly by Riley. UAFS added a second run an RBI single by junior outfielder Baxter Mays.
A&M-Kingsville had taken a 1-0 lead in the sixth with an RBI single off starter Nico Sharp, who allowed just the single tally in 6.1 innings on the mound. Sharp allowed just five hits and struck out one.
Freshman right-hander Coby Greiner took the loss in relief for the Lions. Greiner relieved Sharp in the seventh to get out of the inning, and struck out two in a scoreless eighth before the Javelinas tagged him for three runs in the ninth.
The Lions left six runners on base in the loss.
