May 5, 2008

Abilene – Tim Jones struck out a career high 11 batters and got out of a bases loaded no out jam in the eighth inning with only one run allowed as the sixth seeded Texas A&M-Kingsville Javelinas won their second game of the day and advanced to the finals of the Lone Star Conference Postseason Baseball Tournament with a 2-1 victory.

The Hogs didn’t get a hit after the fourth inning, but Jones was brilliant for the Hogs as he pitched the team’s third complete game of the tournament.

The Javelinas are now 29-28 and will play the winner of Tuesday’s first game between Abilene Christian and Central Oklahoma for the LSC title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament at 5:00 p.m.

It’s the first time the Hogs have advanced to the LSC Tournament title game since 2004.

Jones entered the game with a 3-7 record and had struggled in his last seven appearances, going 0-3 with a 6.66 earned run average, but he put together the game of his career and earned his first victory since March 21st.

Jones pitched brilliantly through seven innings, allowing no runs on just five hits with nine strikeouts and no walks.

He seemed to run out of gas in the eighth and didn’t get any help from his defense.

The inning began with an error, Jones hit the next batter and walked his first batter of the game to load the bases. Jones then hit a batter to force in the first run and only run he would allow.

With the bases loaded and still nobody out, Jones got Tyler Carroll to hit a ground ball to third baseman Will Alexander who threw home for the force out. Then Jones took matters into his own hands and struck out Ryan Scoonhover and Brent Hodge to end the inning.

He then retired the Bronchos in order in the ninth to end the game.

The Javelinas had several chances to score in the first four innings, picking up seven hits.

The Hogs had a runner at third with one out in the first, had three hits in the second, but hit into a double play. The team left the bases loaded in the third and had a runner throw out at the plate to end the fourth.

The frustration seemed to continue in the fifth when with runners at second and third and one out, the Hogs failed to executed a suicide squeeze and had a runner thrown out at home.

But after squandering numerous scoring chances, the Bronchos gave the Hogs two runs on an error on the shortstop and a wild pitch.