PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas – The Prairie View A&M Panthers jumped out to an 8-0 lead in game two and kept adding runs Saturday before taking an abbreviated 16-6 win over Texas Southern in seven innings.
 
The win gave the Panthers a doubleheader split with the Tigers, as Texas Southern claimed a 26-18 slugfest win in the opener.
 
Prior to start of game one, the Panthers honored their four seniors who are participating in their final home series at Prairie View A&M. The Panthers honored Pedro Maldonado, Jordan Stewart, Walter Wells, and Grant Dougherty for their commitment to the baseball program over the past few seasons.
 
The Panthers and Tigers return to the diamond Sunday for the series finale. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
 
GAME TWO: Panthers 16, Texas Southern 6
Kevin Macias' single through the right side scored pinch runner Darrien Williams for second base and gave the Panthers an automatic win with one out in the seventh inning.
 
The win gave the Panthers (15-33, 5-18 SWAC West Division) their first Southwestern Athletic Conference division win since March 14. It was also Prairie View A&M's first win over the first-place Tigers (24-16, 15-7 SWAC West) this season.
 
Alberto Aveytia pitched six and one-thirds innings and scattered 11 hits while striking out four batters en route to the victory. Grant Dougherty ended up finishing the game by pitching the final two-thirds of the seventh inning.
 
After absorbing the loss on the mound in game one, Prairie View A&M's Joseph Mack moved to right field and made the most of his at-bats. Mack went 2-for-4 with a triple, a home run, and five RBIs. Mack knocked a three-run home run in the bottom of the second inning and then drove in two more in the third with his triple.
 
Carson Lee went 3-for-4 with three RBIs for the Panthers, while Cody Den Beste went 2-for-3 with three RBIs of his own. Both players also scored two runs.
 
Dougherty and Connor Wrye both knocked two base hits and collected RBIs in the game. Dougherty also scored four runs in game two. Anthony Fernandez knocked a pinch-hit double for the Panthers.
 
The Tigers would cut Prairie View A&M's lead to five runs after the top of the fifth and sixth innings, but the Panthers created some distance with four runs of their own in the bottom of the sixth. Dougherty, Den Beste, and Lee knocked consecutive RBI hits to build Prairie View A&M's lead to 14-5.
 
TSU starting pitcher Frank Cruz IV absorbed the loss for the Tigers, giving up six earned runs over three innings. It was only Cruz' second loss in seven decisions this season.
 
Zac Howell knocked a pinch-hit, two-run home run for the Tigers in the top of the sixth inning.
 

GAME ONE: Texas Southern 26, Panthers 18
The Panthers scored seven runs in the bottom of the second inning, but that was doubled by the Tigers in the top of the third as Texas Southern scored 14 runs and outlasted Prairie View A&M 26-18.
 
Angel Avalos went 4-for-6 with seven RBIs and three doubles for the Panthers. Lee and Jordan Jeanlouis knocked in three runs apiece for the Panthers. Jeanlouis knocked two doubles in the game.
 
Four Texas Southern players knocked in three runs for the Tigers in the opener.
 
Larry Romero won the game in relief for the Tigers, while Seth Oliver was credited with the save after giving up only one run over the last three and two-thirds innings. Mack absorbed the loss for the Panthers after being charged for the first eight runs (seven earned) during TSU's 14-run inning.