CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — On a clear Monday morning, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi baseball team battled Pittsburgh to 10 innings but it was the Panther who escaped with the 9-6 win at Chapman Field.
On the verge of walking it off after loading the bases with no outs in the ninth, the Islanders (3-7) couldn't get around a well-timed pitching change from the Panthers' (6-1) bullpen who escaped the threat and went on to hold off a rally in the tenth to secure the win for Pittsburgh.
Though, it didn't come without the Islanders responding to a four-inning opener from the Panthers as A&M-Corpus Christi chopped down that deficit throughout to result in the 6-6 tie that forced the extra inning. Unfortunately for the Islanders, their ninth-inning opportunity didn't repeat in the 10th and Pittsburgh left with the 9-6 win.
The Islanders again didn't find issue reaching base, as they outhit the Panthers 13-10. It included a 3-for-3 performance from junior Cole Modgling who entered in the bottom of the fifth as a pinch hitter. Four other Islanders recorded a two-hit day including sophomore Christian Smith-Johnson who homered in the second for their first run of the day.
A&M-Corpus Christi entered the day ranked #8 in the NCAA in total hits (92) and now record 105 so far this year.
Despite some bullpen struggles, junior Zach Garcia gave a tough start for the Islanders and despite allowing four runs in the first, recouped to strike out seven and keep the Panthers scoreless for the next four innings to allow A&M-Corpus Christi to chip into the game.
Following up Smith-Johnson's solo homer in the second that just crept fair, the Islanders would tack on another in the next inning. Junior Isaac Webb singled up the middle to continue his streak of recording a hit in every game this year. Junior Drake Kerr drew the walk to advance Webb to second and the deep single to left from junior Logan Vaughan drove Webb home for the 4-2 score.
In the fourth, Smith-Johnson got clipped to place on base before junior Chance Reisdorph singled through the left and advanced to second as the throw to third wasn't in time. With Smith-Johnson safe in scoring position, he scored on the next at-bat to round home for the second time.
After fighting within one, the Panthers created more separation with two runs in the sixth. The Islanders responded equally in the bottom frame with a pair of runs themselves. Smith-Johnson knocked the lead-off base hit to center before Reisdorph took one hard in the back to have two runners on. An error by the Pittsburgh field loaded the bases and Smith-Johnson would slide home on the wild pitch. The sacrifice fly by Kerr sent Reisdorph home as the Islanders got back within one 6-5.
The tying run came in the seventh inning stretch, as senior Sebastian Trinidad recorded the sacrifice bunt to advance Modgling and Vaughan into opportune position. Smith-Johnson then sent the tying run home on the sacrifice fly out to right as the game was knotted at 6-6.
Two singles and a walk loaded the bases in the bottom of the ninth but Pittsburgh called on Phil Fox to get the Panthers out of a walk-off and he did just that by retiring the next three Islanders. The Panthers backed him up and went on to plate three in the top of the tenth and despite another base runner for the Islanders in the bottom frame, they couldn't make up the deficit to fall in extras.
It concluded the homestand for the Islanders who will now head to UTRGV for a 6 p.m. game Wednesday night in the first of three meetings for the South Texas Showdown, presented by Rally Credit Union.