TSUSports.com: Tigers sweep doubleheader from Huston-Tillotson

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HOUSTON – The second coming of spring to the greater Houston area brought pleasant weather and equally pleasant results for the Texas Southern University baseball team Tuesday, as the Tigers swept a doubleheader from Huston-Tillotson.

In TSU's first non-conference home games in almost two years, the Tigers defeated their NAIA opponents by score of 4-3 and 12-0. The Tigers improved to 13-20 with the pair of the wins.

TSU pitchers Alexander Carrillo and Darius Boykins each picked up their first victories in a Tigers uniform Tuesday. A junior college transfer, Carrillo (Tucson, Ariz./Pima CC) pitched two perfect innings of relief for TSU in the opener; he struck out three HT batters.

Boykins started game two and scattered four hits over five scoreless innings while striking out two and not walking any batters. A 2017 transfer from NCAA Division II Claflin University, Boykins went 0-6 with a save last season for the Tigers.

Tuesday's decision was the first win since April 23, 2015, for Boykins, a Houston native who attended Westbury Christian High School.

The Tigers took an early 2-0 lead in the opening game before HT eventually overtook the lead in the seventh inning. Anticipating the urgency of the situation, the Tigers immediately responded in the bottom half of the seventh as Guadencio Lucca and Christian Sanchez drew leadoff walks.

Lucca and Sanchez then moved into scoring position when Jose Camacho grounded out to third, with HT's only play going to first base. Olajide Oloruntimilehin then tied the game with an RBI groundout to score Lucca.

It was Lucca who again ignited a rally in the bottom of the ninth as he led off the inning by getting hit by a pitch. After Sanchez popped up for the first out, Lucca stole second and third base with Camacho at the plate.

With Lucca representing the winning run on third base and a 2-0 count to Camacho, HT opted to have relief pitcher Ashton Cleveland intentionally put Camacho on board to set up a force play with Oloruntimilehin at the plate. Cleveland then induced a popup for the second out.

After almost forcing TSU's first extra-inning game of the year, Jacob Gilbreath ended the game with a well-placed infield single that was also bobbled by the HT infield. Lucca came home with the winning run, as Gilbreath picked up the game-winning RBI after coming into the game as a pinch hitter in the seventh.

In the second game, TSU gave Boykins a comfortable margin for error after scoring six runs on only three hits in the bottom of the second inning. HT starting pitcher Chris Luna hit three consecutive TSU hitters in the inning, two of which were potentially painful – but otherwise easy – RBIs for Kamren Dukes, and Lucca with the bases loaded.

Ryan Diaz capped the inning with a bases-loaded double that scored two runs. He finished the game with a 2-for-3 showing at the plate (his first multi-hit game of the season) and a TSU career-high three RBIs.

Dukes collected base hits in each game to stretch his hitting streak to 18 consecutive games. His game two base hit came in his last at-bat of the afternoon in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Mason Furlong and Fabio Gonzales each pitched scoreless innings of relief for the Tigers in game two. Game one starter Peyton Schneider pitched seven solid innings for TSU, striking out three batters and only giving up a single earned run.

GAME NOTES:
• The games marked TSU's first non-conference home games since a 7-6 loss to Houston Baptist on May 10, 2016.
• TSU became the third NCAA team – but only the first SWAC program – to sweep a doubleheader from 6-32 Huston-Tillotson. The Rams ended a 17-game losing streak with an 11-9 victory at Prairie View in the second game of a doubleheader last week. HT also played NCAA doubleheaders against Division II Texas A&M–International and Division III Schreiner.

ON DECK:
The Tigers open a three-game series with Southern on Friday at Houston's MacGregor Park. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.

Courtesy: TSU Athletics
 
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