CORPUS CHRISTI (Interstat) — Preston Watkins pitched seven strong innings and Austin Russell hit a tiebreaking home run in the fifth to lift Texas A&M-Corpus Christi to a 3-2 victory over Houston Christian on Sunday afternoon.

The Islanders improved to 23-24 overall and 12-11 in Southland play with the win, which salvaged the finale of the three-game series after the Huskies had taken both ends of a doubleheader Saturday. Houston Christian fell to 21-25 and 10-13.

Watkins scattered six hits, allowed only one earned run and struck out four while walking none. He retired the side in order in three of his seven innings and worked out of a jam in the third.

The Huskies struck first in the top of the third. With one out, Mason Walker beat out a bunt single and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Brayden Halligan singled to right, putting runners at the corners. Cristian Rader then grounded out to third, driving in Walker to give Houston Christian a 1-0 lead.

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi answered in the bottom of the second. Lathan Stark doubled to left center and advanced to third on the throw. Jarrett Flaggert followed with a sacrifice fly to center, scoring Stark to tie the game at 1-1.

The Islanders took the lead in the fourth. Tristan Krowka singled up the middle off Houston Christian reliever Joshua Caravalho. After a walk to Eli Smith, Cade Sanchez singled to right, bringing home Krowka and putting Texas A&M-Corpus Christi ahead 2-1. The Huskies escaped further damage when Flaggert grounded into a double play.

The pivotal moment came in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, Russell launched his first home run of the season deep to left field, extending the Islanders’ lead to 3-1. The solo shot came off Houston Christian reliever Louis Castano, who had entered the inning after Caravalho.

Houston Christian mounted a rally in the eighth. Facing Islanders reliever PierreLuc Jacques, Walker reached on a throwing error by the pitcher. Halligan singled to left, putting runners on first and third. With two outs, Justin Bard singled to right center, scoring Walker to cut the deficit to 3-2. Bard advanced to second on a throwing error by Smith. But Islanders reliever Easten Smith entered and got Jonah Avalos to pop out, ending the threat.

The Huskies put the tying run on base in the ninth but could not push it across. Ben Norton pitched a scoreless eighth for Houston Christian, and Easten Smith worked a 1-2-3 ninth for his first save.

For the Islanders, Sanchez went 1 for 3 with an RBI and Stark doubled. Flaggert drove in a run on a sacrifice fly.

For Houston Christian, Walker scored twice and had two hits. Bard drove in a run. The Huskies outhit the Islanders 8-6 but grounded into three double plays and left seven runners on base.

Castano pitched three innings of relief, allowing one hit and one run while striking out two. Jett Feltman started for Houston Christian and worked two scoreless innings, giving up no hits and striking out two. Caravalho allowed two runs on two hits over two innings.

Interstat’s game simulator projected a 6-4 victory for Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, and its ELO system gave the Islanders a 52.60 percent probability of winning. The Islanders travel to face Houston on Tuesday before opening a series at New Orleans on Thursday. Houston Christian returns home to host Lamar for a three-game set beginning Thursday.