A&M-Victoria baseball rallies to down No. 1 LSUS, move into first place

The Texas A&M University–Victoria baseball team continued its scorching run through the conference slate Friday night, knocking off No. 1-ranked LSU Shreveport, 8-6, at Riverside Stadium to leapfrog Pilots atop the Red River Athletic Conference standings.

The Jaguars, now 25-9 overall and 14-2 in RRAC play, extended their winning streak to 12 games, tying the longest streak under head coach Jonathan Stavinoha. With the win, A&M-Victoria matched LSU Shreveport's conference mark and delivered one of its most significant victories of the season against the nation's top-ranked team.

A&M-Victoria erased multiple deficits and broke the game open with a six-run surge between the fifth and seventh innings, rallying from a four-run hole to secure the series-opening victory.

LSU Shreveport jumped out early, taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning and extending its advantage to 5-1 midway through the fifth. The Jaguars answered quickly and decisively, chipping away before surging ahead for good on a string of timely hits and aggressive baserunning.

Starting pitcher Jonathan Jones earned the win, improving to 8-2 on the season, while Matthew Mejia closed the door with three strong innings to earn his third save.

Key Moments

Trailing 5-1 in the fifth, the Jaguars began their rally with an RBI single from Josiah Taylor before Antonio Benitez brought home another run on a fielder's choice to make it 5-3.

The momentum fully swung in the sixth inning as A&M-Victoria scored three runs to take its first lead. Jackson Purcell drove in a run with a groundout, Roberto Olguin tied the game with an RBI double, and Ty Boozer delivered the go-ahead hit, a single to right that plated the tying run.

The Jaguars added crucial insurance in the seventh. Garrett Smith doubled to right field to score Beck Zimmerman, and Purcell followed with his second RBI of the night on a single to push the lead to 8-5.

LSU Shreveport scratched across a run in the eighth but was unable to mount a late comeback, as Mejia retired six of the final seven batters to seal the upset.

Top Performers

Purcell paced the offense with two RBIs, while Olguin went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. Smith added two runs scored and a key RBI double, and Jose Montanez finished 2-for-2 with a home run, two walks and two runs scored.

Benitez collected three hits out of the leadoff spot and drove in a run, as the Jaguars totaled 11 hits on the night.

On the mound, Jones battled through six innings, striking out six while limiting the damage against a potent Pilots lineup. Mejia was sharp in relief, allowing just one run while striking out four over the final three innings.

Next Up

The two teams wrap up the three-game conference series with a 12:15 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday for A&M-Victoria's Homecoming Red Out. The festivities kick off at 11 a.m. with the President's Tailgate and the crowning of the Royal Jaguars will be between games. Admission is free all weekend thanks to Crossroads Bank.