Tigers split Sunday doubleheader at Prairie View A&M to take weekend series

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – Texas Southern claimed a series victory at Prairie View A&M as the Tigers and host Panthers split a doubleheader.
 
TSU lost Sunday's opener 3-2 before taking the second game of the twinbill by a score of 8-0.
 
Freshman pitcher Daniel Vasquez posted his first collegiate victory as he shut down PVAMU's bats in the second game, tossing eight innings and striking out three while not allowing a runner past second base. Vasquez retired the side in order in four of his eight innings.
 
Texas Southern (4-11) improved to 4-1 in Southwestern Athletic Conference divisional play. The Tigers opened the series Friday with a 6-4 win over the Panthers.
 
In Sunday's finale, Blake Hicks provided what turned out to be the game-winning RBI when he knocked a bases-loaded single through the left side of the infield to score Kamren Dukes.
 
Richard Alamo knocked three RBIs in the game, two of which came on a bases-loaded single in the top of the seventh inning. He added another on a sacrifice fly in the ninth inning. Jose Camacho and Gerrek Jimenez also collected RBIs in the game.
 
Dukes, Guadencio Lucca, and Jeremy Thomas all had three hits in the game for the Tigers. Alamo, Camacho and Jimenez tallied two hits apiece.
 
Michael Villanueva pitched a scoreless ninth after inheriting two batters to preserve the combined shutout.
 
In the opening game, Darius Boykins took the hard-luck loss despite pitching seven solid innings for the Tigers. He struck out three batters and scattered six hits, but also threw three wild pitches, one of which resulted directly in a Prairie View run.
 
Jimenez scored on a throwing error in the top of the third to cut PVAMU's lead to 2-1. Trailing 3-1 in the fifth, Alamo led off with a walk and then moved to third base on a throwing error by pitcher Darrien Williams on a pickoff attempt. Dukes then singled to score Alamo from third.
 
The Tigers' rally was short-lived, as Williams induced Camacho into a fly ball for the first out and then got a strike-out, throw-out double play to end the inning. The Tigers would not put a runner in scoring position the rest of the game.
 
Friday's series-opener saw TSU pitcher Seth Oliver improve to 2-1 after striking out six batters and scattering six hits over seven innings. The Tigers opened the scoring in the top of the fifth inning when Hicks knocked a solo home run, which was followed shortly thereafter with Dukes knocking a 3-RBI double.
 
The Tigers return to action Tuesday when they travel to Beaumont to face Lamar. First pitch has been moved ahead from its original starting time to 4 p.m.
 
TSU also announced a schedule change regarding their weekend series against Arkansas–Pine Bluff. The Tigers and Golden Lions have flipped the locations of their two series, with the teams opening their first series on Friday, March 17 at MacGregor Park in Houston.