No. 8 A&M-Victoria baseball powers past Jarvis, into the RRAC Championship Rounds
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 10 | 5 |
|
|
0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | X | 11 | 15 | 2 |
A balanced offensive attack and a strong effort on the mound lifted the Texas A&M University–Victoria baseball team to an 11-4 victory over Jarvis Christian on Saturday evening in Game 2 of the Red River Athletic Conference Tournament first round at Riverside Stadium.
With the win, the Jaguars secured the series victory and punched their ticket to the championship rounds of the RRAC Tournament, scheduled for next week in Sterlington, Louisiana. A&M‑Victoria improved to 35-13 on the season and continued its strong postseason run with timely hitting and depth pitching.
After falling behind early, the Jaguars steadily clawed back before breaking the game open late to seal the result.
Key Moments
A&M‑Victoria struck first in the second inning when Josiah Taylor tripled to center field to score Ty Boozer for a 1-0 lead. Jarvis Christian answered with three runs in the third, capitalizing on defensive miscues to briefly take a 3-1 advantage.
The Jaguars responded immediately. Jose Montanez drove in a run on a fielder's choice in the third, and another Jarvis Christian error in the fourth allowed A&M‑Victoria to even the score at 3-3.
Jarvis reclaimed the lead with an unearned run in the top of the fifth, but the Jaguars answered again in the bottom half. Roberto Olguin singled up the middle to score Montanez, before Antonio Benitez delivered an RBI single. Additional runs crossed on a wild pitch and a throwing error, giving the Jaguars a 7-4 cushion heading into the late innings.
The game was put away in the eighth with a four-run outburst. Connor Kaiser delivered the biggest blow, tripling down the left‑field line to score two runs. Garrett Smith followed with an RBI single, and Xavier Ortega capped the inning with a run-scoring base hit to push the lead to 11-4.
On the mound, Blane Zeplin weathered early pressure and kept the Jaguars within striking distance before handing things over to the bullpen.
Top Performers
Zeplin earned the win, improving to 10-1 on the season after allowing two earned runs over five innings while striking out eight. Justin Mireles was dominant in relief, tossing four shutout innings with six strikeouts to earn the save.
Offensively, A&M‑Victoria finished with 15 hits. Connor Kaiser went 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored, while Garrett Smith added three hits and an RBI. Benitez reached base three times, drove in a run and scored twice.
Taylor finished 2-for-4 with a triple and an RBI, while Olguin and Ortega each recorded key RBIs during the middle innings.
Next up
A&M-Victoria awaits its next opponent. Their first opponent at the RRAC Championship Rounds could be Louisiana Christian, Our Lady of the Lake or Texas A&M-Texarkana.