HEMPSTEAD, Texas (Interstat) — Joshua Prieto tossed five innings of no-hit baseball and Joshua Pena added three more hitless frames as Texas Southern routed Prairie View 13-0 on Friday evening at Tankersley Field in a Southwestern Athletic Conference matchup.

The Tigers, who improved to 17-14 overall, pounded out 15 hits and scored in five different innings. The Panthers dropped to 5-30.

Texas Southern struck quickly in the top of the first inning. Anthony Ruiz walked, Christopher Chavez singled and Ruiz stole third. Jonathan Trejo singled to drive in Ruiz, then an error by Prairie View pitcher Beau Beaty allowed Trejo and Chavez to advance. Byron Robinson followed with a two-run single, scoring Trejo and Chavez. Robinson advanced to second on a groundout and to third on another groundout, but the inning ended with a flyout. The Tigers led 4-0.

The Tigers added a run in the second. Zachari Pace was hit by a pitch, moved to second on a groundout and scored on a single to right center by Chavez. Chavez was caught stealing to end the inning.

Texas Southern broke the game open in the third. Isaac Herrera relieved Beaty to start the inning. After two groundouts, Miguel Morales walked and Elijah Rodriguez singled. Both runners moved up on a passed ball, and Nate Lopez reached on an error by first baseman Hunter Ham, driving in Rodriguez and Morales. Pace then doubled to right field, scoring Lopez. Pace was caught stealing at third, but the Tigers led 8-0.

Prairie View’s best threat came in the fourth when Michael Burroughs doubled with two outs, but a groundout ended the inning. The Panthers managed only three hits total: Burroughs’ double, a sixth-inning single by Ryland Duson and a seventh-inning single by Basilio Williams. The Panthers also stranded three runners and were held scoreless.

Texas Southern continued to pile on in the sixth. Anthony Ruiz doubled and scored on a single by Chavez. In the seventh, Robinson singled, Morales singled and Rodriguez singled to drive in Robinson. The inning ended with Morales picked off second.

The Tigers put the game away in the eighth. Ruiz singled, Chavez singled and stole second, and after a popout, Robinson was intentionally walked. Evan Joubert cleared the bases with a double to left field, scoring Chavez and Ruiz. An error by first baseman Ham allowed Morales to reach, scoring Joubert and Robinson. The inning ended with a groundout, making the score 13-0.

Prieto, who entered in the fourth inning, struck out three and did not allow a baserunner past second base. Pena, who started the game, threw three innings of hitless ball, walking two and striking out none. The combined efforts held Prairie View to three hits and no runs.

Offensively, Christopher Chavez led the Tigers with a 4-for-5 performance, driving in two runs. Byron Robinson went 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Anthony Ruiz reached base four times, scoring three runs. Evan Joubert drove in two runs with a double in the eighth, and Nate Lopez and Miguel Morales each contributed two RBIs. Zachari Pace added a double and an RBI.

Herrera took the loss for Prairie View, allowing four earned runs on eight hits over five innings. He struck out one.

The victory was Texas Southern’s fourth in its last five games and kept the Tigers in the upper half of the SWAC standings. Prairie View has lost seven straight and 18 of its last 19.

The two teams meet again Saturday at Tankersley Field in the second game of the series. Texas Southern’s next 10 games include a home set against Alabama State followed by a road trip to Southern and Florida A&M. Prairie View’s schedule includes a midweek game against Houston Christian before traveling to Chicago for a three-game series against Alabama A&M.

Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Texas Southern 6, Prairie View 3, and the ELO system gave Texas Southern a 61.70 percent probability to win.