VICTORIA, Texas – After struggling from the plate in its season-opening series last week, the Mid-America Christian baseball team got the bats going in its first road doubleheader of the season at Houston-Victoria. The Evangels opened the doubleheader with a 15-9 victory before falling 5-4 in game two on Friday night.

GAME ONE

Mid-America Christian (4-1) opened the scoring in the top of the second. After Jaily Paredes drew a leadoff walk, Joshua Fernandez drove him in with MACU's first home run of the 2020 season on a deep fly to center, bringing the score to 2-0.

Houston-Victoria (0-1) managed to tie it up in the bottom of the second on a SAC fly and an error, but MACU answered right back in its half of the third. With two outs, Yan Ely Adames hit a single to left and Paredes smashed a two-run homer over the center field fence to bring the Evangels edge to 4-2.

Once again, the Jaguars put a quick response to MACU's offensive surge with a pair of solo home runs in the bottom of the third before taking a two-run lead in the fourth on a SAC fly and an RBI single, setting the score to 6-4.

In the top of the fifth, the Mid-America Christian bats opened the floodgates with a six-run frame. With one out, Evangels designated hitter Colin Minor cut the deficit in half on a solo shot over the left field fence. Adames and Paredes followed with a pair of singles to put runners at the corners for Felix Martinez, who slapped an RBI groundout to third that scored Romi Rinehart pinch-running for Adames, bringing the game back to a 6-all tie.

Joshua Fernandez put MACU in-front for good in the following at-bat with a deeply hit double to center that scored Martinez from first. After Grant Roberts drew a walk to put runners on first and second, Leonel Bejaran-Specht out of the nine hole crushed a three-run homer to increase the MACU advantage to 10-6.

Houston-Victoria closed the gap to two in the bottom half of the fifth on a Luis Vargas two-run smash to center, but the Evangels quickly got the runs back in the top of the sixth on a Roberts bases loaded walk and followed by Paredes scoring on a wild pitch make it a 12-8 game.

MACU added some insurance runs in the top of the seventh. The Evangels loaded the bases on an Edgar Martinez single followed by Rinehart and Adames each getting hit by a pitch, setting Paredes up for a bases-clearing three-RBI double to center to bring the score to 15-8.

The Jaguars got a run back in the bottom of the seventh, but it was too little, too late as Paredes shut the door on UHV in relief to secure the 15-9 victory.

Mid-America Christian scored its 15 runs on 12 hits with two errors while Houston-Victoria tallied its nine runs on nine hits with a pair of errors as well.

Paredes was masterful from the plate in his MACU debut, going 4-for-4 with five RBIs and three runs scored off a homer, a double and a pair of singles along with a walk.

Fernandez also drove in three while going 2-for-4 with a pair of runs off a homer and a double and Bejaran-Specht recorded three RBIs and a run while going 1-for-4 on his three-run homer. Adames also notched a three-hit game, going 3-for-4 with a pair of runs.

David Lechuga received the win after throwing 2.2 innings of relief, giving up four earned runs on three hits, two walks and two strikeouts. Paredes also got credit for a save after throwing two innings, sacrificing just one earned run on three hits to go with three strikeouts.

GAME TWO

The Evangels ran into trouble in the second game in the doubleheader when Houston-Victoria was able to take advantage of three consecutive MACU errors, scoring three runs in the second frame to hold the early 3-0 edge.

However, Mid-America Christian was able to get back in it immediately in the top half of the third. After Oliver Fernandez and Brandon Reese recorded back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second with one out, Edgar Martinez hit a double into the left-center field gap, scoring Fernandez to make it a 3-1 game.

Just when it looked like the Jaguars were going to limit the damage in the inning on a Paredes strikeout, UHV catcher Maxwell Sheldon made an errant throw to first off the dropped third strike, allowing both Reese and Martinez to score, bringing the game to a 3-3 deadlock.

An inning later, MACU took its first and last lead of the game. With Bejaran-Specht on third and Rinehart on first, the Evangels pulled off a double steal play as Bejaran-Specht scored while Rinehart was caught in a rundown between first and second, making it a 4-3 Evangels lead.

In the sixth, the Evangels defense once again made a crucial error that allowed UHV's leadoff hitter Caleb Zoba to reach second with no out. Zoba came around to score off of two wild pitches by Keisy Portorreal with one out, tying the score at 4-all.

The Jaguars threatened to score one more after getting a runner to third with two outs, but Portorreal shut the door on UHV by striking out the Jaguars' Zechariah Vela to end his night on the mound.

Houston-Victoria scored the eventual game-winning run in the eighth. After getting runners to first and second with one out, UHV's Corben Henry smacked an RBI single to left center, but the Evangels were able to limit the damage by getting the runner from first caught in a rundown between second and third, followed by a flyout to center to end the inning.

The Evangels had one last chance to tie or take the lead when Joshua Fernandez knocked a triple to center with one out, but MACU was unable to bring him in as the Jaguars held on for a 5-4 win.

Mid-America Christian tallied its four runs on eight hits and committed a season-high four errors while Houston-Victoria scored its five runs on just four hits with one error.

Reese and Adames led the MACU bats as each went 2-for-4 from the plate while Edgar Martinez recorded the lone RBI by going 1-for-4.

Despite not getting a decision, Portorreal pitched well in his second start of the season, throwing six innings and giving up four unearned runs on two hits, two walks and seven strikeouts. Pedro Reyes suffered the loss in relief after giving up one earned run on one hit, one walk and a strikeout in 1.1 innings.

Mid-America Christian will close out the four-game series against Houston-Victoria tomorrow with a doubleheader starting at noon.