PINE BLUFF, Ark. – The Tigers of Texas Southern University snapped a two-game losing streak Saturday with a 7-4 win at Arkansas–Pine Bluff.
Peyton Schneider won his second consecutive start as he struck out three and allowed only two unearned runs over six and one-third innings as the Tigers evened their three-game series with the Golden Lions.
Texas Southern (20-24) improved its record in Southwestern Athletic Conference divisional play to 14-5 with the win. The Tigers have a two-game lead over Grambling, which has the bye this weekend in the five-team West Division. TSU will conclude its regular season next weekend at home against Grambling.
Arkansas–Pine Bluff (18-18) fell to 10-8 in divisional play with the loss. The Golden Lions need one more win, or a loss by Southern or Prairie View A&M, to clinch their berth into the SWAC Tournament.
The Tigers led from start to finish as they scored two runs in each of the first two innings. With one out in the first Gaudencio Lucca was hit by a pitch, but then came all the way around the bases with the first run when Jose Camacho knocked a triple to right field. Camacho then scored on Blake Hicks' RBI single.
A pair of Pine Bluff mishaps accounted for TSU's runs in the second inning, starting with Ryan Diaz reaching base on what should have been a simple RBI groundout that also allowed Victor Cruz to score from third base. With Lucca at the plate, a passed ball by UAPB catcher Ricardo Sanchez allowed Ricky Urbano to score.
Kamren Dukes scored for the Tigers in the fourth and sixth innings, with both runs coming off more Pine Bluff miscues. An outfield error in the fourth gave Dukes enough time to score from first base after Lucca knocked a single. In the sixth, an interference call against the Lion infield resulted in Dukes advancing from third base to the plate.
It was Dukes' third at-bat of the game in the fourth inning which allowed him to reach base safely for the 36th consecutive game. "Safely" might be a loose term in this case, as Dukes was hit by a pitch from Pine Bluff starter Tim Reynolds.
In Dukes' final at-bat of the game in the eighth inning, he knocked a home run to left field to keep his hitting streak alive. The senior from Pearland stretched his hitting streak to 29 games with his third home run of the season; the blast was the final tally in the 7-4 score.
The Golden Lions cut TSU's four-run lead in half with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Robert Loza came into relieve Schneider, and Loza promptly struck out leadoff hitter Ryan Mallison. The Tigers then got out of the inning when catcher Urbano threw to Camacho at third base to catch Kacy Higgins trying to steal.
Chris Suarez pitched two hitless innings to pick up his third save of the season for the Tigers. Suarez struck out two batters and walked one.
The Tigers and Golden Lions conclude their series Sunday, with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.
Courtesy: TSU Athletics
Peyton Schneider won his second consecutive start as he struck out three and allowed only two unearned runs over six and one-third innings as the Tigers evened their three-game series with the Golden Lions.
Texas Southern (20-24) improved its record in Southwestern Athletic Conference divisional play to 14-5 with the win. The Tigers have a two-game lead over Grambling, which has the bye this weekend in the five-team West Division. TSU will conclude its regular season next weekend at home against Grambling.
Arkansas–Pine Bluff (18-18) fell to 10-8 in divisional play with the loss. The Golden Lions need one more win, or a loss by Southern or Prairie View A&M, to clinch their berth into the SWAC Tournament.
The Tigers led from start to finish as they scored two runs in each of the first two innings. With one out in the first Gaudencio Lucca was hit by a pitch, but then came all the way around the bases with the first run when Jose Camacho knocked a triple to right field. Camacho then scored on Blake Hicks' RBI single.
A pair of Pine Bluff mishaps accounted for TSU's runs in the second inning, starting with Ryan Diaz reaching base on what should have been a simple RBI groundout that also allowed Victor Cruz to score from third base. With Lucca at the plate, a passed ball by UAPB catcher Ricardo Sanchez allowed Ricky Urbano to score.
Kamren Dukes scored for the Tigers in the fourth and sixth innings, with both runs coming off more Pine Bluff miscues. An outfield error in the fourth gave Dukes enough time to score from first base after Lucca knocked a single. In the sixth, an interference call against the Lion infield resulted in Dukes advancing from third base to the plate.
It was Dukes' third at-bat of the game in the fourth inning which allowed him to reach base safely for the 36th consecutive game. "Safely" might be a loose term in this case, as Dukes was hit by a pitch from Pine Bluff starter Tim Reynolds.
In Dukes' final at-bat of the game in the eighth inning, he knocked a home run to left field to keep his hitting streak alive. The senior from Pearland stretched his hitting streak to 29 games with his third home run of the season; the blast was the final tally in the 7-4 score.
The Golden Lions cut TSU's four-run lead in half with a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Robert Loza came into relieve Schneider, and Loza promptly struck out leadoff hitter Ryan Mallison. The Tigers then got out of the inning when catcher Urbano threw to Camacho at third base to catch Kacy Higgins trying to steal.
Chris Suarez pitched two hitless innings to pick up his third save of the season for the Tigers. Suarez struck out two batters and walked one.
The Tigers and Golden Lions conclude their series Sunday, with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.
Courtesy: TSU Athletics