Hogs Win In Spectacular Fashion, Win LSC Tournament Courtesy of Sports Information |
Abilene – The sixth seeded Texas A&M-Kingsville Javelinas scored four runs in the bottom of the eighth to shock nationally ranked and top seeded Abilene Christian 7-6 to win the Lone Star Conference Tournament and earn a bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament.
The Javelinas are now 31-29 on the season and have handed the fourth ranked Wildcats their only two losses in their last 20 games, both on their home field in the conference tournament.
The Hogs entered the tournament one game below the .500 mark at 27-28, but won four of five games in Abilene including three straight elimination games.
“Things finally clicked,” said a jubilant coach Russell Stockton. “I think they realized that we were four games away from winning a conference title and making regionals and they responded.”
Freshman Stephen Hooker (Spring Woods) stopped the Wildcats in the eighth inning, not allowing a run with no outs and the bases loaded and retired the final three hitters in the ninth after allowing a leadoff single to earn the win.
Sam Strickland, who was named to the All-Tournament team, started for the Hogs and pitched the first seven innings, allowing nine hits and five earned runs.
Hooker came on after ACU had already scored three runs to break a 3-3 tie and grab a 6-3 lead. He gave up a bunt single to the first hitter he faced, Allen Smith, to load the bases with no outs. It was ACU’s sixth consecutive hit of the inning.
But Hooker got Thomas Bumpus to pop out on the infield for the first out. Then J.J. Pacheco hit a high hopper to Will Alexander at third, who leaped, threw to home for the force out and catcher Joe Hamon threw to first for the inning ending double play.
In the bottom of the eighth, Hamon led off the inning with a single, Owen Weaver singled to advance Hamon to third.
Pinch hitter Gil Perez (Odem) then laid a bunt down the third base line on a 1-2 count, ACU pitcher Chris Wiman through the ball into right field allowing Hamon and Weaver to score and Perez to advance to third. Perez was credited with a base hit and Wiman was charged with a two base throwing error.
Junior Wiley Crowson then singled to left to bring home Perez with the go-ahead run.
Hooker allowed a single to ACU leadoff hitter Trey Watten to start the top of the ninth. But then Hooker settled down, getting Matt Spotanski to strikeout, league MVP Mike Elkerson to fly out to right, and Jason Schmitt hit into a game ending fielder’s choice.
“Stephen Hooker is just a gamer,” said Stockton . “He is such a competitor and these pressure situations don’t seem to affect him.”
ACU scored a run in the first inning to grab a 1-0 lead, but the Hogs tied the game with a run in the bottom of the second on a two-out run scoring single by Will Alexander.
The Wildcats grabbed the lead again with a run in the top of the fifth, but A&M-Kingsville rallied with two runs in bottom the inning to grab a 3-2 lead.
Alexander tied the game by scoring a run on an error and Weaver singled to drive in the go-head run.
ACU then tied the game with a single run in the seventh before their rally in the eighth.
Weaver and Hamon were named to the All-Tournament team and sophomore pitcher Tim Jones was named Tournament MVP after earning a win and a save in two elimination games on Monday. Weaver hit .409 with four RBI and Hamon batted .333 with three runs batted in during the five-game tournament.
The Javelinas will be making their first NCAA Tournament since 1998 and earned their third LSC title, their second under Stockton and first since 2004.
The Javelinas will be one of six teams to play in the South Central Regional next week. The field and host site will be announced either Sunday night or Monday morning.
 Courtesy of Sports Information |