PRAIRIE VIEW – The Prairie View A&M baseball team was unable to get going in its Southwestern Athletic Conference opening series at Texas Southern, dropping three games over the weekend to the Tigers by scores of 3-2, 9-3 and 7-2.
 
GAME 1 (TSU won 3-2):
Behind strong pitching by Kyle Smith, the Panthers carried a 1-0 lead – compliments of an Andrew Garcia RBI single in the second inning – into the fifth. However, Texas Southern took advantage of fielding miscues to post a run in the fifth and sixth innings to go ahead 2-1. Keanu Maldonado tied it for the Panthers with a RBI double in the seventh, but TSU won in walk-off fashion.

The Panthers committed five errors in the game. Smith received a no-decision as he surrendered just two runs (one earned) on seven hits, three walks, and five strikeouts in eight innings.

GAME 2 (TSU won 9-3):
The Tigers broke open the game in the second inning, managing to put up five runs in the frame to take the advantage. Texas Southern continued to press forward with four runs in the third inning. The Panthers managed a run in the fourth inning, but was largely unable to cash in with runners on base outside of a two-run single by Jordon Ginn (2-for-4) in the sixth inning. In all, the Panthers stranded eight runners over the final six innings and were unable to climb out of their early hole.

GAME 3 (TSU won 7-2):
An early deficit was too much for Prairie View A&M to overcome, as Texas Southern posted four runs in the first inning and led 7-0 after four innings. Garcia put the Panthers on the board with a RBI triple in the fifth inning, and Prairie View A&M added another when Sebastian Coria scored on a double steal in the eighth. However, the inability to bring runners home reared its head again, as PVAMU stranded nine runners in the game.

NEXT UP:
Prairie View A&M returns to action Wednesday at Texas A&M. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.
 
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