Ponce’s Big Day Fuels Baseball’s Win Over UAPB

Oscar Ponce finished 3-for-6 with five RBI as Texas Southern scored in nearly every inning en route to defeating Arkansas-Pine Bluff 13-7 on Friday afternoon at MacGregor Park in both team’s SWAC opener.

The home team opened the score in the first inning through an RBI single by Victor Bueno, which sent home Justin Cooper, making it a 1-0 game. UAPB was on the verge of scoring in the second but left fielder Roderick Coffee made the early play of the game as he threw out a UAPB runner at home plate with two outs.

In the bottom of the second, TSU added an additional run through another RBI single by Nic Garza, which was preceded by a bases loaded jam. Though they weren’t able to inflict more damage on Pine Bluff in that scenario, they were able to redeem themselves in the third frame as Ponce drove in three runners from his extra-base hit to increase the Tigers’ lead to 7-0.

In the fourth and fifth innings, Pine Bluff began their bid for a possible comeback by way of an RBI double of their own and a 2-RBI single, cutting the Tigers’ lead down to five for an 8-3 game.

However, as the visitors proved themselves to be defiant of staying down, the Tigers showed the same sort of attitude to their opponents, as after the Lions scored three runs halfway through the contest, they scored twice for a 10-3 margin after Bueno’s solo home run and a Cooper hit a sacrifice fly to right field.

In the top of the seventh, with the bases loaded in favor of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, reliever A.J. Winger, who was sent to the game after his predecessor Tyler Hansen hit the last batter he faced, struck his opponent out on a foul tip to preserve the score line and keep it in favor of the Tigers as they led 10-4.

Though that play looked to end Pine Bluff’s overall threat to the Tigers for the rest of the game, the visitors once again formulated another attempt to comeback, in which they were extremely close to fulfilling after a 2-RBI triple and another sacrifice fly for a 10-7 affair, this time shortening the Tigers’ lead to three runs, the closest both teams were from each other since the beginning of the game.

Texas Southern wouldn’t be denied in the bottom of the eighth as a Ponce RBI single, a Pine Bluff fielding error in the outfield and a wild pitch made for three runs, which advertently put the game out of reach.

Ponce batted 3-for-6 performance with five RBI and a run scored. Supporting him on the diamond were four other players who each hit multiple times in the game. Of the group, Justin Cooper stood out with his three runs, one walk, and one RBI showing. Roderick Coffee finished 2-for-4 at the plate with two stolen bases.

Starter Alex Olguin threw for six innings against the Lions with two strikeouts and no walks allowed. He was followed by Tyler Hansen, A.J. Winger, Jesse Garcia, and Paul Kindervater from the bullpen to close the game out.

The Tigers will look to continue their winning ways against Arkansas-Pine Bluff tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m.