Scorpions Blow Early Lead, Fall to TAMIU on Senior Night, 13-8
Posted April 15, 2008

Senior Night at Scorpion Field: (Left to right) Senior Jon Ali, Head Coach Joel Barta, Belinda Walker, senior Chris Walker, and Rick Walker in pre-game ceremony.

What seemed like a comfortable lead turned into disaster as Texas A&M International University scored seven runs in the seventh and eighth innings to rally past UTB/TSC, 13-8, in a non-conference game Tuesday, April 15 at Scorpion Field.

The loss dropped the Scorpions to 20-29 for the season while TAMIU is now 13-29.

Tuesday’s game was the last regular season home game for seniors Jon Ali and Chris Walker. Ali is his second year playing for the Scorpions after transferring from Kwantlen Junior College in Surrey, British Columbia. Walker has been a member of the Scorpions for all four years of his collegiate career. He played for UTB/TSC when the Scorpions competed in the NJCAA for his first two years and in the NAIA for last two years.

Ali and Walker were presented Scorpion blankets from Coach Joel Barta for their dedication to the team during a pre-game ceremony.

Ali and Walker were the starting battery for the Scorpions, but neither played the whole game. Walker socked his second homer of the year in the second inning.

Scorpion shortstop Scott Price (17) applies to TAMIU baserunner

In their first meeting of the year, the Scorpions routed the Dustdevils March 25 in Laredo, 18-1, and this one had the makings of another high-scoring game. But a problem that has plagued the Scorpions in numerous games -- errors -- came back to bite the Scorpions again. UTB/TSC committed seven errors in the game, including three in the first inning.

The two teams traded runs in the first two innings, with the score tied 2-2 after the first inning and 6-6 after two innings.

Schaune Collins, who had three hits, doubled and scored on a Ryan MacDonald single in the fourth inning to give the Scorpions a 7-6 lead. Collins then belted his fifth homer of the season in the fifth inning to give the Scorpions a seemingly comfortable 8-6 lead.

MacDonald finished with four hits, scored two runs and drove in two. Collins also scored twice, and Jorge Camorlinga contributed two hits in the Scorpions' 14-hit attack.

Ali gave up six runs, four of them earned in the first two innings, but the loss went to reliever Kellen Burman (0-2), who gave up three earned runs in five and one-thirds inning of relief work.