The Sul Ross State baseball team controls their own destiny.
With a tight race for fifth place in the American Southwest Conference, the Lobos hosted Howard Payne University for the final regular-season homestand on Friday at Kokernot Field.
The Yellow Jackets took Game 1 in extra innings, 4-3.
In Game 2, Sul Ross came out with a bang to split the twin bill with an 11-5 victory in seven innings.
>> GAME 1:
Tristan Karels got the Lobos on the board in the bottom of the first with an RBI single that brought in
Primo Vasquez.
Karels later scored on an error by the centerfielder that came off a single by
Carsen Thor.
Howard Payne picked up a run in the second and then scored two runs in the fourth to take a 3-2 lead.
After back to back walks issued to
Estevan Ortiz and
Lee Kubosh, Sul Ross tied up the game in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI single through the left side by Vasquez.
The Yellow Jackets were held scoreless for four-straight innings until they took the lead in the top of the ninth with an RBI single.
Vasquez finished 2 for 4 with two singles and an RBI.
Peyten Kennard hit a pair of singles to go 2 for 4 while Karels went 1 for 5 with an RBI.
Tye Lindsey tallied a double in the sixth to go 1 for 4. Thor and
Orlando Moreno each went 1 for 4 with a single.
Ortiz was walked twice to go 1 for 2 with a single.
Chris Ibanez started the game, tossing seven innings allowing two earned runs and six hits with three strikeouts.
Connor Archer pitched the next two innings allowing one earned run on one hit.
>> GAME 2:
Thor delivered a two-RBI double to left center to give Sul Ross a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
Howard Payne flipped the script in the second inning by taking a 4-2 lead.
Sul Ross began to chip away.
Karels drilled a solo leadoff home run in the third to cut the deficit to one run.
Using a five-run rally, the Lobos took an 8-4 lead in the fourth.
Aaron Morales drove in a run with a fielder's choice to first to get things going. Lindsey then hit a two-RBI single to left center.
Thor tacked on two more runs for the Lobos by hitting a clutch two-RBI double.
Howard Payne was kept at bay for four-straight innings until it finally scored a run in the top of the seventh.
Sul Ross added three insurance runs in the bottom of the sixth.
Matthew Wheeler drove in a run with a double while Kubosh scored on a wild pitch. Ortiz then hit an RBI infield single to make the score 11-4.
The Lobos out-hit Howard Payne, 11-9.
Thor tallied four RBI as he went 2 for 3 with a pair of doubles. Wheeler finished with a double and a single to go 2 for 4 with an RBI.
Mateo Saenz went 2 for 3 with two singles and a walk. Vasquez tallied two singles to go 2 for 5.
Karels had a single, home run, a walk and an RBI to go 2 for 4.
Lindsey drove in two runs to finish 1 for 4 with the single.
Gage Cobb struck out two batters and allowed two earned runs in 2.1 innings.
Cade Watson improved to 3-1 after he struck out four batters and tossed a two-hitter in 3.2 innings of work.
Ian Craigie allowed one hit in one inning.
>> RECORDS: Sul Ross (15-17, 11-12); Howard Payne (17-19, 10-13)
>> UP NEXT: The Lobos host Howard Payne for senior day at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 22.
>> ASC STANDINGS:
1. East Texas Baptist (25-9, 19-3); 2. (tie) UT-Dallas (22-12, 14-8); and Concordia (22-13, 14-8); 4. LeTourneau (17-18, 11-11);
5. Sul Ross State (15-17, 11-12); 6. Howard Payne (17-19, 10-13); 7. Hardin-Simmons (15-20, 10-12); 8. (tie) Mary Hardin-Baylor (13-18, 8-15); and University of the Ozarks (9-27, 8-15); 10. McMurry (13-21, 7-15).
>> WHAT THE COACH SAID:
"After Game 1, I challenged the guys more than I have ever challenged them and they responded. Our pitching staff did a heck of a job today. Offense in Game 1 just didn't get the hits, didn't have the team at bat's we needed. Game 2 it started clicking. It was a gutsy two-inning performance by Cobb. Wasn't sure if he was going to be able to start today. He gave us a zero the first. Cade came in and did what he needed to do to keep our offense close enough. Our offense exploded and finally did what they were supposed to do as far as having good at bat's and putting balls in play." —
Ely Gallego on his team's performance in Game 2
"Tomorrow's senior day. You got to enjoy your time here at Sul Ross. We all want to win, but there's times where you got to enjoy being at the yard. We kind of control our own destiny. It's in our hands, which is kind of nice. Win and we're in." —
Gallego on the importance of the senior day
