Texas A&M-Corpus Christi edges UIW, 5-4, in 11 innings

Jackson Owens blooped a two-out hit down the right field line to drive in the winning run, as the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders defeated visiting Incarnate Word 5-4 in 11 innings Friday night in Southland Conference baseball.

With runners at second and third and UIW pitcher Luke Taggart trying to send the game to the 12th, Owens popped a ball into short right right.

When nobody from UIW could catch it before it hit the ground, Thomas Jeffries crossed home plate for the walk-off victory, keeping the Islanders’ SLC postseason hopes alive.

With the loss, UIW dropped into seventh place in the SLC standings, two games in the loss column out of eighth. A&M-Corpus Christi moved into a tie for 10th.

Eight teams qualify for the SLC tournament. UIW plays again in Corpus Christi on Saturday at 4 p.m. and on Sunday at 1 p.m.

The Cardinals complete their regular-season conference schedule with three games at home next week against the first-place Sam Houston State Bearkats.

Records

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi — 25-26, 9-16
Incarnate Word — 29-21, 13-12

Hayden Cantrelle stroked five hits Friday night, and the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns defeated Texas State 7-4 in the Sun Belt Conference at San Marcos.

The teams play again Saturday at 4 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m. in the Bobcats’ final home series this season.

Louisiana scored one run in the second inning and three in the fifth for a 4-0 lead.

In response, Texas State scored three times in the bottom of the fifth to pull within 4-3.

But the Bobcats could never gain the lead and ended up falling to 1-6 in their last seven games.

Texas State’s Nicholas Fraze (5-4) took the loss after exiting in the sixth inning trailing 5-3. He gave up 11 hits in five and 1/3.

Louisiana’s Colton Schmidt (7-0) pitched into the seventh inning for the victory.

Records

Louisiana — 29-21, 15-10
Texas State — 23-25-1, 11-14