HOUSTON – The Prairie View A&M Panthers evened their weekend series with Texas Southern on Saturday by defeating the Tigers 12-8.
 
Nick Gurka and Jaron Hicks both hit three-run home runs in the sixth inning, and Cody Den Beste knocked four RBIs to help the Panthers (3-7) snap a six-game losing streak.
 
Texas Southern (4-7) and Prairie View A&M are both 1-1 in Southwestern Athletic Conference play, and will face each other again Sunday at 1 p.m. at MacGregor Park.
 
Edgar Sanchez picked up his first career win for the Panthers, striking out nine batters and allowing only two runs through six innings. He retired eight straight batters at one point and didn't allow a hit from the third inning through the sixth.
 
The final stat line for Sanchez showed six and two-thirds innings pitched, six earned runs and four walks.
 
Edward Robledo picked up his first save of the season for the Panthers, allowing only two base runners over one and one-thirds innings. Jordan Johnson also pitched an inning for Prairie View A&M, striking out two batters and stanching a TSU rally in the bottom of the seventh inning.
 
Ryan Rios allowed nine earned runs over five and two-thirds innings to absorb the loss for Texas Southern.
 
Darrien Williams went 4-for-5 with a solo home run in the sixth inning for PVAMU. Den Beste, Angel Avalos, Nick Gurka, and Josh Wells collected two hits apiece Saturday.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Trailing 2-0 after two innings of play, the Panthers loaded the bases with one out in the third, and Den Beste tied the game with one swing with a double to left field to score Gurka and Kevin Macias. In the bottom of the third inning, the Panther defense snuffed a Tiger rally with a 1-3-5 double play from Sanchez to first baseman Wells to third baseman Kaylor Lewis.
 
In the fourth inning, Macias hit a double to center field to score Lewis. Two batters later, a single by Den Beste allowed Gurka to score, but the Tigers got out of the inning when Macias was called out at the plate.
 
The sixth inning started with Lewis reaching base and Brashad Jones knocking a bunt single to set up Gurka's home run. Two batters later, Williams hit the second home run of the inning, but not before both benches were warned after Rios through behind Macias immediately after Gurka's blast.
 
With two outs and Avalos on base, TSU brought in Jamie Vasquez to pitch, but he fared little better, giving up a single to Wells and then Hicks' three-run home run.
 
The Tigers fought back with four runs in the seventh inning, with a bases-loaded walk to Olajide Oloruntimilehin and a two-run single by Kamren Dukes highlighting the inning. Johnson came on in relief and ended the inning with a strikeout while stranding TSU runners at second and third.
 
After TSU pushed two more runs across the plate in the eighth inning, the Panthers added an insurance run when Den Beste's infield fielder's choice allowed Macias to score. Macias would score two runs Saturday, as would Lewis, while Gurka crossed the plate three times.
 
In the ninth, Robledo retired the first two hitters he faced, and after the next two reached, induced Chris Scroggins into a ground ball that ended the game.