No. 14 Jags drop NAIA Tournament opener to Keiser, face St. Xavier in elimination game
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Houston-Victoria | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 14 | 0 |
|
Keiser | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 9 | 1 |
LAWRENCEVILLE, GA. – The University of Houston-Victoria baseball team is facing elimination after falling to Keiser University (FL) in their first game at the Lawrenceville Bracket of the 2025 NAIA Baseball Championship Opening Round.
The No. 14-ranked Jaguars dropped a 10-9 decision in walk-off fashion at Georgia Gwinnett College's Grizzly Baseball Complex after what was a back-and-forth game and saw UHV one strike from advancing to the winner's bracket.
Instead, UHV (38-16) will face St. Xavier (Ill.) in an elimination game at 3:30 p.m. CT. It will be the first-ever meeting between the Jaguars and the Cougars.
The Jaguars jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first two innings thanks to RBI doubles from Terry Burrel III, in the first inning, and Jackson Purcell, in the second. Purcell also scored on a wild pitch in the second to make it 3-0 before the Seahawks (36-15) responded with a four-run fourth inning to go up 4-3.
That sparked five lead changes and five ties in the seesaw contest.
UHV regained the lead again in the seventh during a two-run frame. Freshman Xavier Ortega sparked the rally with a pinch-hit, RBI double to right center to tie it before Kyle Barosh came home on an error to give UHV a 7-6 lead.
Barosh would tie the game up again in the eighth with an RBI single before Burrel drove in his third run of the game on an RBI single in the ninth.
Eventually, the Seahawks would walk it off in the home half of the ninth on back-to-back two-out, RBI singles off sophomore reliever Jacob Baker.
Jonathan Jones started on the mound and went five innings, allowing six runs on five hits with five strikeouts.
The Jaguars outhit Keiser 14-9, but stranded 13 base runners.
Burrel was a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with three RBIs and three walks to reach in each of his six plate appearances. Cristian Garcia was 3-for-6 at the plate with three runs scored. Purcell and Barosh each went 2-for-4 with an RBI in the loss.