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Sunday, February 4, 2001

Islanders sweep opener
A&M-CC wins both games
By Javier Becerra
Caller-Times

George Tuley/Caller-Times

A&M-CC’s Adam Sadler (center) touches second base ahead of the slide of Prairie View A&M’s Robert Harris for the final out of the Panthers’ at-bat in the second inning of the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader Saturday afternoon. The Islanders kicked off their second season with a 19-8 win.

All Hector Salinas could think about last Thursday was the weather.
   The Texas A&M-Corpus Christi baseball coach was just two days away from leading his Islanders into their second season, but not even baseball could keep his thoughts away from the damp, dark and cold conditions.
   "It doesn't look like the weather's going to cooperate," Salinas said as he gazed across the sky at the blanket of menacing clouds.
   Mother nature didn't let Salinas down Saturday, and neither did the Islanders.
   Last week's dreary weather gave way to sunny skies as A&M-Corpus Christi dispatched Prairie View A&M, 19-8 and 5-4, in a season opening doubleheader at Cabaniss Field.
   A trio of Corpus Christi natives provided much of the offensive spark for the Islanders in their 11-run victory over the Panthers.
   Former Miller High School standout Marcus Hernandez and Carroll products Rene Chavez and Jimmy Fly each hit a home run and had two hits in the victory. The three also combined for seven runs and eight RBI.
   Hernandez, who went 2 for 2 with a double and four RBI, said the team didn't want to disappoint Salinas.
   "We've been waiting for this moment for a long time now," second baseman Marcus Hernandez said. "All the guys just wanted to come out and show coach we could produce. We looked good, but we all know there's still work to do."
   Returning starter Ryan Clyde also homered for A&M-Corpus Christi in the first game. Salinas expected Clyde, Chavez and Hernandez to give the Islanders power at the plate, but Fly's home run was a surprise to the veteran coach.
   "I didn't expect to see a bomb from Jimmy," Salinas said of his starting catcher. "He's mostly a line drive hitter, but he's been swinging well lately. What I really want from him is to be solid behind the plate."
   Clyde helped open the scoring for the Islanders in the second inning of Game One. The first baseman ripped the first pitch from starter Thomas Price into the gap between right and center field. Throw from the warning track was off target, allowing the 6-foot-3, 220-pound Clyde to slide safely into second.
   On the very next pitch, Hernandez lifted one into shallow left field. Prairie View's Michael Willis made a diving attempt after a hard charge toward the left field line, but the ball bounced just in front of his glove and rolled into left.
   Clyde scored easily on the play and Hernandez made it safely to second base before the throw from Willis reached the infield. Two batters later, Hernandez scored when Fly reached first base on a throwing error by Prairie View third baseman Baxton Bennett.
   In the third inning, Hernandez continued A&M-Corpus Christi scoring with a three-run homer that gave the Islanders a 5-0 lead.
   "The count was 3-0 and I thought coach would give me the take signal," Hernandez said. "I knew a fastball was coming next, so I just wanted to try to put the bat on the ball. It ended up going out of the park."
   Fly, who transferred to A&M-Corpus Christi from Alvin Junior College, led off the fourth inning with a solo homer over the left field wall. The Islanders would go on to score seven runs in the inning after two Prairie View pitchers combined for six straight walks.
   Though Salinas was impressed by A&M-Corpus Christi's output, he said it was hard to judge his team's overall performance against the Panthers, who dropped to 0-4 after Saturday's doubleheader.
   "We got a real big lead and that changed the whole game," Salinas said. "(Prairie View A&M coach John Tankersley) told me they were hurting with their pitching. No matter what you still have to swing the bat. Things just got out of hand."
   "I was hoping we'd come out and get going right from the start, but it took a little while," Salinas said. "We were nervous at the beginning. Once we got around in the lineup and got the jitters out, things were OK."

   GAME ONE
   At Cabaniss Field
   A&M-Corpus Christi 19, Prairie View A&M 8
   Prairie View A&M 000 005 3-8-8-7
   A&M-Corpus Christi 023 752 x-19-12-2
   Thomas Price, Alvin Moore (4), Kent Kelly (4), Desmond Duke (6) and Brian McGinty. Carlos Garcia, Brad Shead (6), Larry Olivarez (6) and Jimmy Fly, Richard Garcia (5). WP - Garcia (1-0). LP - Price (0-1). HR - Rene Chavez (1), Ryan Clyde (1), Marcus Hernandez (1), Fly (1). Records - Prairie View A&M 0-3, A&M-Corpus Christi 1-0.
   Highlights - Prairie View A&M, Adrian Adams 1-4, R, Robert Harris 2-3, 2R, McGinty 2-4, R, 2B, RBI, Bernard Mack 1-3, 2R, 3RBI, Anthony Thomas 1-3, R; A&M-Corpus Christi, Chavez 2-3, 3R, 2B, RBI, HR, Sean Braithwaite 3-4, 2B, 4R, RBI, Clyde 2-4, 2B, 3R, 5RBI, HR, Hernandez 2-2, 2B, HR, 3R, 4RBI, Fly 2-3, 2B, HR, R, 3RBI.



Staff writer Javier Becerra can be reached at 886-3734 or by e-mail at becerraj@caller.com

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