Taylor's strong outing helps Eagles split second doubleheader at Friends

WICHITA, Kansas — A&M-Texarkana split Friday's doubleheader with Friends University on Friday, leaving Wichita with a 1-3 record over four games with the Falcons to open the 2024 season.

GAME 1

Friends took a 3-0 lead in the first inning before the Eagles (1-3) got on the board in the second courtesy of an Adam Garren solo home run. Brandon Riley doubled home Bobby Velasco in the fifth to being the Eagles within 3-2, but Friends was able to take on a pair in the fifth to nail down the win 5-2. Garren and Riley each had a pair of hits while Velasco walked twice and scored. Dylan Cabral was tagged with the loss on the hill, allowing six hits and five earned over 4.2 innings while walking four and striking out three. Nathan Hunter tossed 1.2 scoreless innings of relief with two strikeouts.

GAME 2

Blake Taylor tossed six innings of shutout ball in the second game of the doubleheader, leading the Eagles to a 5-2 win over the Falcons. Taylor scattered four hits, three walks and three strikeouts while forcing nine ground ball outs. TJ Hughes had three hits and Jonathan Rios had two. Xavier Selway opened the scoring with a sacrifice fly in the second to score Garren, then Julian Macias scored on a passed ball in the third to make it 2-0. Rios scored on Gabe Baker's RBI single in the fourth, and then scored on a double from Macias. Garren closed out the three-run fourth frame with a single to bring Riley across.

The Eagles head to Sterlington, La. later this week for the 2024 Cajun Collision, where they'll open against Freed-Hardeman (TN) on Thursday at 6 pm before taking on Southwestern Christian on Friday at 11 am. The Eagles play two on Saturday against Mid-America Christian and Clarke (IA) at 2:30 and 6 pm, respectively.