Carroll Tigers Sweep Alice Twice in District 29-5A Baseball Play

Christian Hernandez delivered 4.1 shutout innings on the road and was named player of the game as Corpus Christi Carroll defeated the Alice Coyotes 5-2 Tuesday in UIL District 29-5A, completing a series sweep after an identical 5-2 victory the previous Friday.

Seth Martinez led the offense, going 3-for-4 with one stolen base and two RBI. The three-hit afternoon set a new career high for Martinez, whose previous best was two hits in a single game, a mark he had reached four times previously. Niko Caballero contributed across all phases of the box score, reaching base in three of his four plate appearances while adding one stolen base, one run scored and one RBI. Carroll finished with only two strikeouts as a team, a discipline that has become a quiet indicator of success: the Tigers are 3-1 in games where they post two or fewer strikeouts.

Carroll's pitching staff combined to allow just four total runs across both wins against Alice. Coach David Marsello noted the back-to-back wins reflected the team's ability to rebound from recent losses. The sweep brought Carroll's overall record to 10-11 on the season. Alice, meanwhile, dropped to 4-12 and extended its losing streak to four games.

District 29-5A produced a contrasting result elsewhere in the same week. The Veterans Memorial Eagles swept Carroll in a separate series, defeating the Tigers 8-2 on Monday and 5-3 on Wednesday at Whataburger Field in Corpus Christi. In the Wednesday game, Carroll scored first when Prince Roland grounded out for an RBI in the top of the first, but Veterans Memorial answered with a run on an error and a 2-RBI double by Jordan Garza to lead 3-1. Ryan Morgan extended that advantage to 4-2 in the bottom of the second. Eagles starter DJ Garcia earned the win, allowing two hits and two runs over six innings with five strikeouts and three walks. Caleb Garcia closed the final inning for Veterans Memorial.

Carroll turns to its next challenge Friday, when the Tigers face rival Flour Bluff at 7 p.m. Alice also plays Friday, hosting Gregory-Portland at 7 p.m. Veterans Memorial, sitting in a playoff spot in District 29-5A, will face Gregory-Portland the same evening at Whataburger Field.