A third walk-off victory in three games lifted Prairie View A&M to a weekend sweep of the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff in Texas on Sunday.
The Prairie View baseball team defeated UAPB 7-6 at Tankersley Field on centerfielder Garrison Weiss’ walk-off RBI single which scored shortstop Isaac Davila in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Prairie View (20-22, 11-7 SWAC) previously defeated UAPB twice in Friday’s doubleheader, 6-5 and 3-2, both in walk-off fashion. The teams didn’t play Saturday due to weather.
UAPB (13-26, 4-14) entered the ninth inning tied with the Panthers on Sunday, just as it had done in Friday’s first game. The Golden Lions had runners on base in the top of the ninth in both games but didn’t score.
In Friday’s second game, UAPB had taken the lead in the top of the ninth but allowed two baserunners on errors to lead off. Both scored.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
A similar situation developed on Sunday. Davila led off the bottom of the ninth by hitting a ground ball to UAPB shortstop Trinidad De La Garza. His throw to first baseman Ben VanMaanen hit the turf, allowing Davila to reach the base. Like Friday’s second game, UAPB hadn’t committed an error prior to the ninth.
Prairie View right fielder Michael Smith bunted Davila to second before Weiss delivered the walk-off hit. Weiss finished the game 3 for 4 with an RBI and 2 runs.
UAPB reliever Jaxson Lucas (4-1) suffered his first loss of the season on the unearned run. He pitched 3 1/3 innings, allowing two hits and no earned runs. He relieved starter Jaedon Willis, who allowed 6 runs on seven hits in five innings. He struck out one and walked five.
Prairie View reliever Victor Mendoza (2-4) earned the win after entering the game with two outs in the eighth. He allowed two hits but no runs with one strikeout and one walk.
Smith gave Prairie View a 6-3 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning with a 3-run home run. Two walks had put runners on base with one out.
UAPB got a run back in the sixth inning. In the eighth, right fielder Jalyn Williams made just enough contact with a pitch to send it bouncing up the third base line. Prairie View pitcher Corey Battey went to collect it but inadvertently collided with Jaylon Nauden, who was attempting to score from third.
The collision was ruled Battey’s fault since he was in the base path, and Nauden scored on the play. Later in the inning, Williams drew an errant throw while stealing third, then scored to tie the game at 6.
UAPB had two baserunners with one out in the top of the ninth after Carlos Rodriguez-Velez walked and Darrius Brown singled. Nauden flew out to right field, and Prairie View caught Brown in a rundown between first and second base. The Panthers tagged him out before Rodriguez-Velez had time to score a go-ahead run as the inning ended.
This was the third UAPB inning to end on the basepaths after Brown was ruled out on interference in the first and Williams was caught stealing third base in the second.