Home runs was the term of the day as a pair of seventh-inning home runs by Alexander Olivo and Roderick Coffee moved TSU past Texas Wesleyan 9-7 in a midweek contest at MacGregor Park.
TWU led the contest off with a leadoff double but TSU starter CJ Castillo regrouped with a pair of inning-ending strikeouts. TSU struck first as Daalen Adderley led the second inning off with a single and moved to second after Olivo was hit by a pitch. Jeffry Mercado drove in the game's first run with a sac fly while Chase Cromer followed three batters later with an RBI single as TSU led 2-0.
TWU homered to lead the fourth inning off to draw within 2-1 and tied it at 2-all in the fifth with another leadoff homer.
TSU made a pitching change in the sixth as Adolf Castillo entered and promptly struck the leadoff batter out. However, a walk and error put two runners on base which led to a three-run homer and a 5-2 deficit.
With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Jaden Jones and Gabe Vasquez drew back-to-back walks. Adderley's RBI single up the middle was precisely hit underneath the gloves of two TWU infielders as Jones scored for a 5-3 margin. Olivo woke the stadium up with a three-run shot over the left field wall as TSU led 8-5. Mercado would reach base on a TWU throwing error and Coffee made them pay with a home run for a 9-5 lead. Chase Cromer scored from third after reaching base on a single as TSU ended the seventh ahead 9-5.
TWU refused to go away with a two-run homer in the eighth to trail 9-7. Closer Carlos Marquez came on in the ninth and struck out the leadoff batter but a fielding error allowed TWU to put a runner on base with one out. However, Marquez got the team back on track with a fly out and game-ending strikeout.
Cromer led TSU with a 3-for-4 outing which included a run scored and an RBI. Both Adderley and Coffee had two hits while Olivo and Coffee had 3 and 2 RBIs, respectively.
TSU is back in action at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m.
