Texan bats explode to take series from Javs

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Tarleton State second baseman Landon Merka dives across home plate during a doubleheader sweep of Texas A&M-Kingsville Sunday at Cecil Ballow Baseball Complex. || Photo courtesy DEE ROBINSON via Tarleton Athletic Communications

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(March 29, 2015) — Tarleton State (12-13, 6-9) exploded for 33 runs to to sweep the final three games from Texas A&M-Kingsville (19-12, 13-6) Saturday and Sunday, taking three of four from the Javelinas in the Lone Star Conference series at Cecil Ballow Baseball Complex.

The Texans were especially explosive in an 18-1 rout to conclude Saturday’s action. Tarleton scored in every inning except the sixth, and of course didn’t bat in the seventh.

Tarleton center fielder Kevin Meredith went 4-for-4 with a pair of home runs, two doubles, three runs batted in and four runs scored in the blowout. Andrew Jacobi and Brandon Villeneuve also had home runs for the Texans, who amassed 16 hits with 12 going for extra bases.

Alex Humphreys had a triple and double with three runs batted in and three more scored. Villeneuve, Landon Merka and Matt Olive also had two hits.

Kyle Gottardy earned the win in the circle, allowing a run on three hits in five innings. He struck out three and walked just one. Seth Hallmark and Quade Adams each worked one shutout inning in relief.


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Tarleton fell behind 4-3 in the top of the fourth of the final game of the series Sunday afternoon. But the Texans went to work at the plate again, scoring twice in the fourth to lead for good, adding an insurance run in the fifth then securing the win with two runs in the seventh.

The Texans won 8-4 behind another big day from Merka, who was 3-for-4 with two runs batted in and two scored. Olive was 2-for-3 and drove in two scores while Peter McMahan was 2-for-4, also with two RBI. The 7-9 spots in the lineup combined to go 7-11 with six RBIs and four runs.

The Texans pitched by committee, with Hallmark earning the win. He struck out two batters while yielding just a hit in two innings of relief. Colton Burleson, Troyal Yosko, John Kresta and Hunter Houston also saw time on the mound.

Tarleton won 7-3 in Saturday’s early contest and lost 2-0 on Friday.

A&M-Kingsville maintained its narrow lead atop the LSC standings, while Tarleton is fifth. The Texans welcome Eastern New Mexico to Stephenville for a three-game set this weekend. A single contest starts at 3 p.m. Friday with a doubleheader beginning at 1 p.m. Saturday.

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