HEMPSTEAD, Texas (Interstat) — In a Southwestern Athletic Conference slugfest Saturday afternoon that stretched into the evening, Texas Southern outlasted Prairie View 14-12 at Tankersley Field, erasing a deficit with a four-run ninth inning to improve to 18-14 while the Panthers dropped to 5-31.

Both teams collected 15 hits and each committed one error, but the Tigers capitalized on key hits late. Texas Southern first baseman Anthony Ruiz went 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBIs, extending a hot stretch that included a 2-for-4 performance in Friday’s 13-0 win over Prairie View. Ruiz homered on the game’s first pitch, putting Texas Southern ahead early.

Prairie View catcher John Lawson turned in the most productive offensive line of the day, going 3-for-3 with a home run and five RBIs. Lawson’s three-run homer in the third inning capped a five-run frame that turned a 2-1 deficit into a 6-2 Panthers lead. Prairie View left fielder Michael Burroughs drove in three runs on two hits, including a two-run double in the third.

The Tigers chipped away. After Prairie View extended its lead to 7-2 in the fourth on a Zacarias Salinas groundout, Texas Southern answered with three runs in the top of the fourth. Ruiz singled in a run, Christopher Chavez singled in another and later stole second as Ruiz scored on the throw, cutting the margin to 7-6.

Prairie View third baseman Ryland Duson homered to lead off the sixth, and later in the inning Lawson doubled down the left-field line to score two unearned runs, giving the Panthers a 10-6 advantage. Texas Southern trimmed the lead to 10-8 in the seventh on a Shaun Williams RBI single and a wild pitch.

The decisive sequence occurred in the top of the ninth. With the score 11-10 in favor of Prairie View after a Ty Moore hit-by-pitch scored a run in the eighth, the Tigers mounted a comeback. Nate Lopez singled, and Zachari Pace doubled him home to tie the game at 11. After an Anthony Ruiz strikeout, Christopher Chavez was intentionally walked. Jonathan Trejo doubled down the left-field line, scoring both Chavez and Pace to give Texas Southern a 13-11 lead. Byron Robinson then singled, driving in Trejo for a 14-11 advantage.

Prairie View threatened in the bottom of the ninth. Corie Lockette walked with two outs, but Jordan Williams struck out swinging on a pitch from Demarques Thompson, who earned the save. Thompson pitched a scoreless inning with one strikeout.

Texas Southern used three pitchers. Starter Kewan Braziel allowed two earned runs on no hits over three innings with three strikeouts. Seve Medrano tossed two innings, surrendering one earned run on no hits while striking out one. Thompson closed it out.

Prairie View reliever Ty Pankonin gave up one hit in two scoreless innings. The Panthers also got home runs from Ethan Walker, who went 2-for-4 with a homer and an RBI, and Duson, who finished 2-for-5 with a home run and an RBI.

Texas Southern grounded into two double plays. Texas Southern center fielder Shaun Williams went 2-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs. Anthony Ruiz’s recent performances included a 2-for-4 outing Friday, an 0-for-5 in a loss to Arkansas-Pine Bluff, a 3-for-6 with one RBI in an 11-10 win, and a 2-for-4 with one RBI in a 4-6 loss.

The Tigers and Panthers meet again Sunday in the series finale.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Texas Southern 6, Prairie View 2, and its ELO system gave Texas Southern a 62.80 percent probability to win.