CORPUS CHRISTI -- Texas A&M-Corpus Christi blew open a tie game with a five-run eighth inning Saturday afternoon as the Islanders beat ACU, 7-3, to finish off a sweep of thier three-game sereis at Chapman Field.
The loss drops the Wildcats to 13-39 overall and 3-17 in the Southland, while the Islanders finish their season at 22-32 and 14-16. ACU lost all 10 of its conference series this season, and will close out the season nesxt week (Thursday-Sunday) in Corvallis, Ore., against the No. 1-ranked Oregon State Beavers.
Corpus scored two runs in the second inning off ACU starting pitcher
Derek Scott before ACU answered with two runs of its own in the top of the fifth to game at 2-2. Laqne Bourland led off the inning with a single and went to third on a double by
Hillin Warren.
Russell Crippen then drove in Bourland with a sacrifice fly before Scott singled to left to plate Warren and knot the game at two apiece.
But Corpus put the game away in the bottom of the eighth with a fuve-run outburst, including a bases-clearing triple by catcher Lukas Hermanson to finish off the inning.
Scott threw well, although he was tagged with the loss to fall to 2-3. He scattered seven hits over seven innings and gave up five runs and three walks while striking out three Islanders.
