Apaches defeat Steers, 11-5
Tyler Junior College defeated Texas College Wednesday night 11-5 in a non-conference game played at UT Tyler's Irwin Field.
The Apaches (24-13) notched ten hits in the win while the Steers (18-16) had nine.
The Apaches started Blaine Taylor, who went five innings on the mound for the win. Taylor gave up six hits and four runs. Colton Burleson relieved him for a scoreless sixth, followed by Jackie Black, who gave up a run in the seventh. Zach Zeilinger pitched a scoreless eighth and Garrett Peters closed out the ninth.
Texas College's Chris Blackmon started and went two innings, followed by Houston Carroll, who took the loss. The Steers used eight pitchers in the loss.
This game was originally scheduled for Mike Carter Field, but was moved to Irwin Field after Tuesday night's rain pushed back Robert E. Lee's high school game to Wednesday.
In the bottom of the first inning, the Apaches loaded the bases on a single, error and a hit by pitch. Estevan Hernandez then drew a full-count RBI walk, followed by Hunter Sutton driving in another run on a fielder's choice to take a 2-0 lead.
The Steers tied the game in the second inning with aggressive base running. Texas College scored its first run on a throwing error on an attempted dead ball steal of second, then tied the game on an RBI bloop single from Tristen Neal.
In the third inning, Texas College right fielder Jose Serna led off with a double to center, then was brought home on a high infield chopper from Moises Espionoza to give the Steers a 3-2 lead.
The Steers brought in pitcher Houston Carroll in the third and Taylor Drolette led off with a double to right, then took third on a wild pitch and came home on a Jon McManemin grounder to tie the game.
The Apaches had runners on second and third with one away for Jeremy Christian, who sent a hard shot at shortstop Agustin Enriquez.
Enriquez couldn't handle the ball and the error scored one. A sacrifice fly to right from Parker Phillips brought in another runner to make the score 5-3.
In the fourth, Texas College's D.J. Fisher reached on a throwing error by shortstop Jacob Soisson. Fisher got caught in a rundown trying to steal second, but Tyler threw the ball away on the pickoff and Fisher came all the way home to make the score 5-4.
The Apaches struck again in the bottom of the fourth with a walk from Conner Lewis and a double down the left field line from Drolette. With runners on second and third and two outs, Hernandez reached on a two-run throwing error from shortstop Enriquez to give Tyler a three-run lead.
Drolette led off the sixth with a stand-up triple to center field, then came in on a fielder's choice by McManemin for an 8-4 Tyler lead.
Texas College scored again in the seventh when a passed ball brought in Jose Serna to make it 8-5.
In the Apaches half of the seventh, TJC drew three straight walks from relief pitcher Chris Burroughs, then got a two-RBI single from Conner Lewis to make the lead 10-5. Nico Moran also came home on a double steal for the 11-5 final score.