Three times Brazos Valley rallied to tie Texarkana Friday night at George Dobson Field, but the Twins never let up in beating the front-running Bombers, 11-6.
Brazos Valley has now lost two straight games, but remains first in the Texas Collegiate League with an 18-5 record. The Twins improve to 12-8, two games behind Victoria.
The game was tied 6-6 going to the bottom of the seventh when the Twins scored three runs to capture the lead for good.
Matt Kissamis singled home Blake Shannon with the decisive run to make it 7-6. Lee Thomas scored on a fielder’s choice, and Tim Lichty singled home Kissamis. Lichty entered the contest as the league’s leading hitter, and contributed three singles in Texarkana’s 15-hit attack.
Lichty bombs Brazos Valley with three hits
The Twins scored first in the game when Lichty singled to right, scoring on Jake Taylor’s home run over the left field fence.
Consecutive infield hits by Ryne Randle, Shea Gutierrez and Lichty loaded the bases in the third. Randle scored when Taylor singled to left, and Gutierrez trotted home on a wild pitch.
Texarkana’s other two runs scored in the eighth on a Bomber error, and a sacrifice fly by Lee Thomas.
Michael McElmeel was the third of five Texarkana pitchers and got the win. Southpaw Matt Foster started, struggling with his control the first four innings before giving way to Jordan Johnson in the fifth. Logan McDowell and Joseph Standley hurled the final two frames.
The two teams are scheduled to play a doubleheader Saturday, beginning at 4 p.m.