HOOKS, Texas – Hope International baseball closed out its season-opening nine-game roadtrip with a forgettable 26-16 loss against Texas A&M-Texarkana on Tuesday.

The Eagles put up crooked numbers in every inning, including six runs in the first and eight more in the fourth.  HIU's offense produced two big innings with five runs in the fourth and six in the sixth.

Both teams struggled defensively with five errors apiece.

HIU (4-5) took a 1-0 lead in the first as Royce Clayton stole home.  But the Eagles scored six runs on just two hits in the bottom half, aided by two Royal errors.

Clayton cut the deficit to 6-4 with a three-run bomb in the second.  But Michael Caputo answered with a three-run homer of his own in the bottom half to extend the lead to 9-4.

After the Eagles took a 12-4 lead after three innings, HIU closed the gap with a five-run fourth inning outburst. Clayton started the rally with a leadoff homer – his second of the game – and Henry Borjas drew a bases loaded walk for another run. Evan Jaquez laced a two-RBI single as HIU trailed 12-9.

But the Eagles erupted for eight runs in the fourth to put the game out of reach. The Royals six-run sixth included a two-RBI double from David Shackelford and a three-run home run from Colby Moran.

Clayton finished 3-for-4 with four runs scored and four RBI. Shackelford was 2-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI.

Nic Cortez suffered the loss to fall to 0-1. Fourteen pitchers saw action between the two teams. Eagle hurler Ty Thomerson, who was the only one of the 14 who didn't allow at least one run in the game, earned the win.

HIU awaits its home opener on Tuesday, February 10 against Whittier College. First pitch is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.