Zimmerman drives in four as A&M-Victoria tops A&M-Texarkana in opener

TEXARKANA, TX – A career day by freshman Beck Zimmerman helped the Texas A&M University-Victoria baseball team back into the win column.

The Flatonia native drove in a career-high four RBIs as the Jaguars (14-9, 5-2) toppled A&M-Texarkana, 11-5, on Thursday at Dobson Field.

A&M-Victoria scattered 12 hits to pick up the win, which maintains their position in second place in the Red River Athletic Conference.

In total, four different Jaguars had multi-hit performances and four had multi-RBI games.

Key Moments

The Jaguars struck first in the opening inning when Beck Zimmerman drove a double down the left-field line to score Ty Boozer and give A&M–Victoria an early 1–0 lead. Texarkana (13-14, 3-4) responded immediately in the bottom half, taking a 2–1 advantage after Ahmar Donatto delivered a two-run single with two outs.

A&M–Victoria gradually regained control over the middle innings. The Jaguars tied the game in the third when Connor Kaiser grounded out to bring home Antonio Benitez. In the fifth, Jackson Purcell lined an RBI double to left field to plate Kaiser and push the Jaguars ahead 3–2.

The turning point came in the seventh inning through aggressive baserunning. After Kaiser walked and Garrett Smith singled, a failed pickoff attempt allowed Smith to swipe second and advance to third while Kaiser stole home to extend the lead. Moments later, Purcell lifted a sacrifice fly to right field to score Smith, stretching the margin to 5–2.

A&M–Victoria broke the game open with four runs in the eighth inning. Zimmerman delivered a two-run single that brought home Benitez and Josiah Taylor, and Smith followed with a two-run homer to center field that pushed the lead to 9–3.

The Jaguars added insurance in the ninth. Zimmerman drove in another run on a fielder's choice that resulted in an error, and Kaiser capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly to center field. Texarkana added one run in the bottom half, but the Jaguars' bullpen closed the door to secure the six-run win.

Top Performers

Zimmerman led the Jaguars' offensive production with a standout performance at the plate. The designated hitter collected two hits and drove in four runs, including the game's first run-scoring hit and a key two-run single during A&M–Victoria's decisive eighth inning.

Smith also played a major role in the victory, finishing 3-for-6 with two RBIs and two runs scored. His eighth-inning home run helped put the game out of reach, and he contributed on the basepaths earlier by stealing second and advancing on a pickoff attempt during the seventh-inning rally.

Purcell delivered a strong performance near the bottom of the lineup, going 3-for-4 with two RBIs. His RBI double in the fifth inning gave the Jaguars a lead they would not relinquish, and he added a sacrifice fly in the seventh to extend the advantage.

On the mound, Jonathan Jones provided a steady outing to earn the win. The right-hander worked seven innings, allowing three runs on five hits while striking out six to move to 5-2 on the mound.

Matthew Mejia handled the final two innings in relief, striking out a career-high four batters while surrendering two runs. Combined, the Jaguars' pitching staff recorded 10 strikeouts and held Texarkana to eight hits.

Next up

The two teams wrap up the series with a 12 p.m. doubleheader at Dobson Field on Friday.