ARLINGTON – The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi baseball team jumped out to a 4-1 lead after 4-1/2 innings, but was unable to hold on falling 6-4 to UT Arlington Friday night in the second game of the series at Clay Gould Ballpark. The series finale is Sunday at 1 p.m.

With the loss, the Islanders are now 22-30-1 overall and 14-14-1 in the Southland Conference. UT Arlington is now 25-29 on the season and 15-14 in the SLC. A&M-Corpus Christi needs a win on Saturday in the finale to avoid being the eighth seed in the SLC Tournament next week and vie for the sixth seed.

UTA broke the 0-0 deadlock with a run in the bottom of the third. With two outs Matthew Otteman walked and stole second. He came around to score on a single by Michael Choice.

A&M-Corpus Christi took the lead in the top of the fourth inning. Singles by Chase Wheaton and Bryan Gerondale off Andy Sauter began the inning bringing Trey Hernandez to the plate. Hernandez would clear the bases and the road behind left field as he blasted a three-run home run. It was his second home run of the series and tenth of the season.

The Islanders extended their lead to 4-1 in the fifth. Chase Williams doubled to left to start the inning and went to third on a wild pitch. He scored on a grounder by Wheaton.

Sauter lasted five innings allowing four earned runs on eight hits. He fanned three and walked one. A&M-Corpus Christi would not score again as Drew Clementz allowed one Islander hit in the final four innings. Clementz (1-2) would earn his first win of the season and strike out three.

“We had a good approach at the plate early in the game and did a good job of chasing Sauter from the game,” said Islander head coach Scott Malone. “You have to give Clementz credit for coming in and shutting us down.”

The Mavs pulled to within a run in the bottom of the fifth with two runs off Islander starter Roy Ferdin. With one away, No.-9 hitter Jay Pitschka singled and went to second on a wild pitch. He scored on a single to center by David McLeod. Williams attempted to field the ball and throw Pitschka out at the plate but let the ball get by him. McLeod would circle the bases to make it a 4-3 game.

“The game really came down to the nine-hole hitter,” said Malone. “He had two big hits to start their two big innings and set the table for McLeod and Otteman.”

UTA took the lead in the seventh with three runs off reliever Brett Gibson. Gibson, who suffered the loss to fall to 3-3, allowed three straight hits to the only batters he faced.

Pitschka led off the inning with a single and scored on a double by McLeod. After advancing to third on a single by Otteman, the UTA first baseman crossed the plate on a sacrifice fly to right by Choice. After a single by Danny Slinkman put runners on the corner, Otteman stole home on a delayed double steal for a 6-4 lead.

Chase Wheaton picked up the team’s lone hit off Clementz in the eighth with a lead-off hit and stole second, but was left stranded. In the ninth, Olivarez reached on an error by Evan Raley but TAMUCC could not capitalize.

Gerondale led the Islanders with three hits before leaving with an injury. Wheaton added two hits as the Islanders had nine in the game. UTA finished with 12 hits as Raley, McLeoed and Pitschka each had two.