Four Texas Southern University baseball players combined for 13 hits including a 4-for-5 performance from Gabriel Vasquez as the Tigers won a slugfest over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 14-13 on Wednesday night.
Vasquez along with CJ Castillo, Daalen Adderley and Roderick Coffee combined for 13 of TSU’s 18 hits as the Tigers won for the first time since 2006 against the Islanders.
The runs were aplenty in the first inning as five consecutive Tigers (9-6) reached safely with one on. Daalen Adderley drove in the first run of the night with an RBI double while Jalen Freeman drew a bases loaded walk for a 2-0 margin. A wild pitch moved TSU up 3-0 followed by Roderick Coffee’s RBI groundout for a 4-0 lead.
The Islanders went to the bullpen after a Michael Goudeau walk and Jaden Jones wasted no time in setting the tone with a two-RBI double for a 6-0 lead as TSU batted around the inning. A three-run homer by the Islanders in the bottom of the first cut TSU’s lead in half 6-3. They would tack on two more in the second to draw within 6-5 to set the tone for the night.
After a scoreless third from both teams, TSU returned to the board in the fourth as Gabe Vasquez hit a two-run homer for an 8-5 margin. However, the lead was brief as the Islanders recorded an RBI triple with two outs in the bottom frame to draw within 8-7 before tying and moving ahead 9-8 after a pair of RBI singles.
Chase Cromer reached base in the fifth on an error and CJ Castillo homered to put TSU back ahead 10-9 which sparked a pitching change. Vasquez would answer with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch which set up Adderley’s RBI single and an 11-9 margin.
TSU went to the bullpen again to open the fifth but after two one-out walks, they had to make the call once again as Mateo Lamas was inserted for Kobe Head. Lamas started out slow with a hit by pitch to load the bases followed by a bases loaded walk and an RBI single as Texas A&M-Corpus Christi led 12-11.
After a scoreless sixth by both teams, TSU added two more in the seventh as Adderley responded with an RBI double along with Alexander Olivo’s RBI groundout as TSU moved ahead 13-12. Lamas held the Islanders scoreless in the bottom half and Coffee added another run in the eighth with a triple as he scored on an Islander error by the catcher.
Lamas recorded his third straight scoreless frame to set up an exciting ninth as TSU opened with no runs.
In the bottom frame, TSU inserted Carlos Marquez on the mound and quickly recorded the first out with a strikeout. However, the Islanders drew a walk, singled and forced another walk to load the bases as Abraham Deleon was called to the mound.
Deleon hit his first batter to draw the Islanders within 14-13 but Deleon recorded back-to-back strikeouts with the winning run in scoring position for the save.
Vasquez finished 4-for-5 with two RBI and four runs scored while CJ Castillo, Coffee and Adderley had three hits each. Goudeau added two hits while Adderley led the way with three RBI followed by two each from Vasquez, Castillo and Jaden Jones.
TSU is back in action on Friday against Arkansas Baptist at 3 p.m. at MacGregor Park.