AUSTIN – Huston-Tillotson University's baseball team claimed its second consecutive conference win Friday as they defeated Texas College 9-6.
At historic Downs Field in east Austin, the Rams (8-15) ceded four runs in the top of the first inning to Texas College and then scored nine of the game's final 11 runs to improve their Red River Athletic Conference record to 3-4.
HT first baseman
Noah Alvarez led the Ram bats with a 3-for-5 evening at the plate, collecting three RBIs in the process. He ignited the comeback effort with a two-run homerun in the bottom of the second inning and later tied the game at 4-4 with an RBI double in the third.
Steel Kupec earned the win on the mound for the Rams after tossing three and two-thirds shutout innings in relief. He struck out four batters and gave up only one hit without issuing any walks as he improved his season record to 4-1.
HT's
Josh Wilk and
Jorge Saucedo knocked back-to-back RBIs in the third inning to give the Rams a 6-4 lead after Alvarez' game-tying double. The lead held until a bases-loaded, two-RBI double from Texas College's Auden Venegas retied the game at 6-6 in the top of the sixth.
The Rams reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the sixth when
Adam Sheehan's base hit sent
Kadarien Harris to third base; Harris then came home on a throwing error from TC's outfield. Sheehan scored later in the inning on
Kendall Brown's RBI groundout.
HT added a final insurance run in the bottom of the seventh when Sheehan drew a bases-loaded walk that scored
Alijah Merkson from third base.
Starting pitcher
Ethan Walker pitched five and one-third innings for the Rams, striking out five batters while allowing six runs, four of them earned.
The visiting Steers (1-17) fell to 0-10 in RRAC play. Earlier this season, they won their first game since the CoVID-19 pandemic when they defeated the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy (Mo.) at home in Tyler, Texas.
The Rams and Steers conclude their series Saturday afternoon with a doubleheader at Downs Field. First pitch of Saturday's opener is scheduled for 1 p.m.
– HT –
