CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Friday night's series opener between Texas-Corpus Christi and Incarnate Word University felt like a Coastal Bend high school baseball all-star game.
It was a "Battle of the Wildcats" collegiate-style with the Islanders' John Gaddis (Calallen) opposing the Cardinals' Luke Taggart (Gregory-Portland). The two faced off in a pitchers' duel with the Islanders finally rallying for three runs off Taggart in the 8th to win 3-2.
Moody's Dom Lopez got the win in relief for Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. Former Carroll Tiger and first-team preseason All-Southland Ryan Flores got three hits on the night for Incarnate Word.