Big Offensive Night Propels 'Roos Past ABU

SHERMAN, Texas - The Austin College baseball team got three home runs and took advantage of 15 walks on their way to a 16-8 non-conference victory over Arlington Baptist on Tuesday night at Baker Field. The 'Roos are now 13-23 overall on the year with the win.

Arlington Baptist got on the board with a run in the top of the first, but Austin College quickly got that run back as Isaac Villa launched his first career home run to lead off the bottom half of the inning. The 'Roos went on top two batters later, with Jayden Ayala-Hinojosa smacking a solo shot of his own to make it a 2-1 game. After ABU got two runs of its own in the top of the second to make it 3-2, the 'Roos went on top for good in the fourth, pushing five runs across to grab a 7-3 lead.

Isaac Villa brought home one run with a fielder's choice, and another run came home on the same play via an error to put the 'Roos ahead 4-3. Ashton Cason then scored on a wild pitch, and Ayala-Hinojosa and Desmond Squalls both drove in a run to cap off the inning. Ayala-Hinojosa tacked on another run with an RBI single in the fifth, and Cason drove in a pair to open up another five-run inning in the sixth as the 'Roos took a 13-3 lead. Villa tripled home a pair of runs in the inning, and Tino Ramirez brought Villa home with a single for the last run of the inning. 

The Patriots took advantage of some defensive miscues by Austin College in the seventh to cut it to 13-8, but RayShawn Riley blasted a solo homer in the bottom of the seventh and Villa notched his fifth RBI of the game later in the inning. Greg Smith came home on a wild pitch for the final run of the game, as Austin College took a 16-8 lead and held on from there.

Jack Wilhelm earned the win in relief, pitching 3.0 scoreless innings and allowing two hits, while ABU's Layne Wilkerson took the loss, giving up six runs, four earned, on four hits with four walks issued in 3.1 innings. Villa was 2-for-6 with five RBI and three runs scored, while Ayala-Hinojosa was 2-for-5 with three RBI. Cason was 2-for-2 with two RBI and three runs scored, and Ramirez was 2-for-3.