CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (Interstat) -- Will Stark drove in four runs with three hits, including a pivotal three-run double, and the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders rallied from an early five-run deficit to defeat the McNeese State Cowboys 9-5 in a Southland Conference baseball game Sunday.

The game, which began in the afternoon and concluded in the evening, saw the Islanders (18-22, 3-3) secure the series victory after the teams split the first two games. McNeese State fell to 19-19 overall and 4-2 in conference play.

The most critical sequence of the game occurred in the bottom of the second inning, erasing what had been a comfortable McNeese State lead. The Cowboys had taken a 5-0 advantage without a hit in the top of the first, capitalizing on a combination of walks, hit batters and defensive miscues by the Islanders. McNeese State added another run in the second on a double play groundout by Cooper that scored Isaiah Keller.

Trailing 5-0, the Islanders responded with a five-run, bat-around bottom of the second to tie the game. The rally was fueled by small ball and a key error. After a hit-by-pitch and a sacrifice bunt error, Stark cleared the bases with a double to left-center field, cutting the deficit to 5-3. Following a strikeout, Flaggert delivered an RBI single to score Stark. After a pitching change that brought in Jake Blackwell for starter Garcia, Jayden Reynolds tied the game with an RBI double, plating Flaggert.

Stark was the catalyst throughout, adding an RBI single in the fifth inning as part of a three-run frame that gave the Islanders the lead for good. His 3-for-3 performance marked a significant breakout, as he had gone hitless in his previous five games, including four hitless at-bats in the series.

Hunter Azemar provided an insurance run with a solo home run, his first of the season, in the seventh inning.

For McNeese State, Isaiah Keller went 3-for-4 with a solo home run in the fourth inning, his third of the year. DJ Pinkerton added two hits and an RBI.

The Islanders used three pitchers to secure the win. Starter Connor Schlect worked five innings, allowing three earned runs on five hits. Preston Watkins earned the win with four innings of relief, yielding two earned runs on three hits with two strikeouts.

McNeese State reliever Jaden Bahl provided strong middle relief, throwing four scoreless innings and allowing no hits with three strikeouts after entering in the fifth, but the damage had already been done.

The result defied the pregame projection from Interstat, which gave McNeese State a 64.4% probability to win and predicted a 7-3 Cowboys victory.

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi finished with nine hits, matching its run total, and executed two sacrifice bunts. McNeese State collected eight hits but stranded several runners.

The Islanders next travel to face Incarnate Word for a three-game series starting Friday. McNeese State returns home to host Louisiana Tech on Tuesday before a conference series against Texas-Rio Grande Valley.