NACOGDOCHES – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi baseball team won its second consecutive road game to clinch its Southland Conference series with Stephen F. Austin on Saturday afternoon with a 9-7 victory at Jaycees Field.

The Islanders, who are 12-23 overall and 7-7 in the Southland Conference, posted double-digit hits for the fourth straight game as they pounded out 13. They also took advantage of 12 walks from the Lumberjacks (14-19, 3-10), which is the most by an Islander opponent this season.  

A&M-Corpus Christi jumped on the board for three runs in the top of the first inning. Chase Williams doubled down the line in left to lead off the game. After Stephen Flora drew a bases loaded walk, Trey Hernandez belted his team-leading eighth home run of the season to left field off Jeremy Tamez.

“Trey’s stick has been carrying us for five weeks now and his home run gave us an early cushion,” said Islander head coach Scott Malone. “Chase Williams was also great today getting on base six times. If he can get hot, it gives us a third bat to go with Trey and Flora. With his speed in the lead-off spot, he can take us to another level.”

In the second, A&M-Corpus Christi added two more runs to push its lead to 5-0. Martin Parra led off the inning with his second home run in as many games to chase Tamez from the game. It was Parra’s third home run of the season. With two outs, Williams doubled off the glove Zach Gardner and scored on a base hit by Brycen Bell.

Tamez allowed four runs on four hits in an inning of work.

The Lumberjacks pulled to within 5-3 with three runs in the bottom of the second. After Justin Roland led off the inning with a walk, Matt Whatley picked up the first hit of the game off the Islanders’ Hernandez with a home run to right. Two batters later, Jeff Brewer hit a solo home run to left-center field.

After being held without a run in the top of the third inning, A&M-Corpus Christi scored an unearned run in the top of the fourth to push its lead back to three, 6-3. With one out, Ernie Olivarez singled up the middle and moved to third as reliever Erich Lehmann threw the ball away down the first base line in a failed pickoff attempt. Williams singled threw the left side of the infield to plate Olivarez.

SFA scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game at six on two hits. Hernandez was in trouble early walking Gardner to start the inning and then allowed a single to Kai Kirby. After striking out Kevin Crabtree, Sean Meyers pulled the hosts to within a run with a two-run double to left-center off Hernandez. Meyers tied the game at six with two outs scoring on a balk called on Matt Hudec.

Hernandez scattered six hits of 4-1/3 innings and allowed six runs. He fanned three and walked three.

A&M-Corpus Christi regained the lead in the top of the seventh with a sacrifice fly by Gerondale. Flora led the inning off with a double and – after Hernandez walked – moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Wheaton, who singled in the first to extend his hitting streak to a team-best 10 games. Gerondale then broke the tie by lifting a fly ball to left off Lehman.

In the eighth, the Islanders scored twice without recording a base hit. The SFA duo of Rich Folmer and Heath Konescheck combined to walk five. Wheaton and Gerondale each drew bases loaded walks to drive in runs.

“Gerondale’s RBIs late in the game were big plus,” said Malone. “He also made some plays on defense that were huge.”

The ‘Jacks scored an unearned run in the bottom of the ninth. Kirby lined a shot to right-center field that went off the glove of Wheaton for a three-base error. Kirby scored later in the inning on a grounder as Brett Gibson retired the next three batters to end the game and get his second save.

The Islander bullpen shut down the hosts over the final 4-2/3 innings allowing just one unearned run on one hit. Hudec earned the win to improve to 2-0 on the season. He gave up one hit, while striking out two and walking two in 2-2/3 innings. Brian Anderson was perfect in an inning of relief including a double play with a runner on second in the eighth, while Brett Gibson allowed the unearned run in the ninth  

Malone was ecstatic with play of his bullpen.

“I was more than pleased with our bullpen as a whole today,” said the coach. “I am as excited as I have been for a player this season with the way Anderson pitched. For him to get the grounder for the double play and then get the strike out was huge. I have said all year for us to be a good team, Brian is going to have to be great.”

Williams and Olivarez led the Islander hit parade with three hits apiece. Williams also walked three times, scored three runs and had drove in a run. He has now reached safely 12 straight times. Flora and Wheaton added two hits apiece, while Gerondale drove in a pair. Meyers and Brewer led the hosts with two runs apiece

The series concludes on Sunday at 1 p.m. The Islanders host Lamar next weekend in Southland Conference series at Fairgrounds Field in Robstown. Friday’s game will be a 6:30 p.m. start with Saturday at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.