The Texas Southern baseball team continued their strong form at the start of conference play by defeating the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions 12-5 on Saturday afternoon.
From stout pitching and potent offense in multiple patches throughout the game, the Tigers extended their winning streak to three consecutive games, which began when they defeated No. 4 Mississippi State on Tuesday.
Designated hitter Victor Bueno was the Tigers' leading man on the plate thanks to his 2-for-4 performance which also included two runs, three RBI and a walk. First baseman Oscar Ponce followed suit with three runs, one RBI and two walks which made up his 1-for-3 day. Leadoff hitter and shortstop Justin Cooper, along with his two hits out of five at bats, stole a base and scored a run.
Starter Noe Guerrero III, despite a rocky fifth inning where he allowed four runs, steered the ship for his team's pitching duties with three strike outs over five innings.
He was relieved by Robert Loza, Paul Kindervater and Jaiden Beck out of the bullpen. From Loza onward, the Tiger bullpen allowed only two hits and one walk, effectively annulling Pine Bluff's offense entirely. For Loza, the one with the most amount of work in relief, threw for 2 1/3 innings with one hit and a strikeout.
Despite falling behind to Pine Bluff by a leadoff home run in the top of the first, Texas Southern responded with equal haste through Bueno's 2-RBI double and a Robinson sacrifice fly to left field for a 3-1 score in favor of TSU.
In the second inning, the Tigers' sudden and stringent offense continued by a DeLeon RBI single to right field, a balk committed by Pine Bluff's starting pitcher Rocky King, and a fielding error committed by the shortstop, which thus increased Texas Southern's margin to 6-1.
With the likelihood of victory becoming more miniscule with each pitch, the visitors made a break to recover before it was too late. In the fifth inning, the Lions mounted a comeback by way of scoring four runs as they trailed 6-5 entering the sixth. TSU's Victor Bueno came up big in the bottom frame as his RBI double scored Oscar Ponce for a 7-5 advantage.
However, the Tigers wouldn't be denied as they produced a five-run seventh inning to put the game away for good as Ponce, Jean Ortiz, Jordan Vidato, Parker Deleon and Nic Garza recorded RBIs. Ortiz, Vidato, DeLeon and Garza all scored via bases loaded walks for a 12-5 lead.
The Tigers will conclude their first series against Arkansas-Pine Bluff Sunday afternoon, with the first pitch being thrown at 1 p.m.
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Courtesy: TSU Athletics