ROBSTOWN – Three straight singles to start the top of the ninth inning proved costly for the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi baseball team as visiting Lamar turned them into three runs to break a 3-3 tie en route to a 6-4 win on Friday at Fairgrounds Field. The series continues on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Fairgrounds Field.

Tyler Link, Brian Taylor, and Steven Tucker each singled to start the top of the ninth off Islander reliever Trey Hernandez. After Link scored on a passed ball to break a 3-3 tie, Travis Dunson roped a two-run double down the line in left to score Taylor and Tucker.

The Islanders tried to rally in the ninth as Ernie Olivarez reached on a one-out walk and scored on a two-out single by Chase Williams. After Williams stole second and went to third on a balk, Matt Gore struck out Brycen Bell to earn his first save of the season and end the game.

Hernandez suffered the loss for the Islanders falling to 0-7 on the season. He allowed three runs on four hits in 1-2/3 innings of work. Brian Sisk earned the win moving to 7-2 he allowed four runs with three earned on seven hits. He missed his third complete game of the season by one out. He walked three, fanned three and forced 14 fly outs.

“We had a lot of momentum on offense coming into this game after last week and had an off night,” said Islander head coach Scott Malone. “Omar (Gutierrez) walked three batters in one inning and Sisk walked three all game. We had 14 fly outs and struck out four times, which are 18 unproductive outs. We can’t do that against a team like Lamar and win.”

The loss ended a five-game winning streak for the Islanders, who fall to 13-24 on the season and 8-8 in the Southland Conference. The defeat was just the second of the season for TAMUCC when ahead after six innings in 11 contests. Lamar moves to 22-15 on the season, and leads the SLC East Division with an 11-5 mark.

Lamar scored an unearned run in the top of the second run. With two outs, Olivarez dropped a pop up with two outs in the inning. Chris Dunkin came around to score on the play from first as he was going on the pitch.

After Chase Wheaton was left stranded at third in the bottom of the second after a lead-off triple, Lamar pushed its lead to 2-0 in the fourth as Islander pitcher Gutierrez struggled with his control. With one away, the senior walked three straight batters – the bottom three in the Lamar order – loading the bases for Link. Link would drive in David Moore with a sacrifice fly to right.

“When you play one of the top teams in the league you can’t allow out free bases,” said Malone. “The E4 by Ernie was poor and you can’t walk the seven, eight and nine hitters at this level.”

The Islanders would take a 3-2 lead with single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings.

In the fourth, Stephen Flora led off the inning with a single. After Hernandez walked, Flora scored from second on a single by Wheaton. Hernandez would be gunned down going to third on fly ball to Moore in center by Bryan Gerondale.

With two outs in the fifth, Williams belted his second home run in as many games with a solo shot to left off Sisk. It was the third home run of the season for Williams who had two hits in the game.

Flora scored an unearned run in the top of the sixth to give the Islanders a 3-2 advantage as he reached on an error by Sisk. He scored on a two-out double to left-center field that was misplayed by Jared Hill in left allowing the ball to get over his head.

Gutierrez came out to start the top of the seventh with a lead for the first time having allowed one hit. He was unable to maintain the lead as he allows a double by Link. After Taylor singled, Tucker hit a sacrifice fly to center to knot the game at three.

Gutierrez allowed three runs – two earned – on three hits in 6-1/3 innings. He fanned four, but walked five and hit a batter.

The Islanders finished with seven hits. Wheaton and Flora joined Williams with two hits apiece. Williams drove in two runs, while Flora scored twice. Wheaton and Gerondale each had RBI. Lamar finished the day with eight hits. Link, Taylor and Dunson each had a pair.