Feb. 6, 2004
New Page 1
EDINBURG, TX - For seven innings, The University of Texas-Pan
American's baseball team and Sam Houston State battled on virtually even terms
in the second game of the UTPA/Al Ogletree Classic Friday evening. Then
the Bearkats broke the game open with four runs in the top of the eighth inning
and went on to a 7-2 victory over the Broncs at the Edinburg Baseball Stadium.
SHSU center fielder Roy Merritt and first
baseman Jonathan Stone sandwiched singles around a walk to catcher Andrew
Kasparek, loading the bases against senior reliever Johnny Gibson (Sachse, TX/Naaman
Forest HS/Collin County CC). Designated hitter Dominic Garcia singled for one
run, left fielder Dustin Martin greeted freshman reliever Chad Linder (Reklaw,
TX/Rusk HS) with another run-scoring single, and two more runs scored on
fielder's choices before sophomore reliever Aaron Guerra (Edinburg, TX/Edinburg
HS) retired second baseman Josh Aranda on a fly ball to end the inning.
Texas-Pan American had taken a 1-0 lead in
the first when sophomore center fielder Louie Alamia (Edinburg, TX/Edinburg
North HS) scored from third base on a wild pitch by starter and winner Ryan
Rafferty. The Bearkats tied the score in the third on a wild pitch by UTPA
junior starter Nick Gregory (Mesquite, TX/North Mesquite HS/Angelina College),
then scored twice in the fourth on Aranda's infield hit and an error by junior
third baseman Ricky Broyles (Longview, TX/Spring Hill HS/Northeast Texas CC).
The Broncs scored again in the fourth.
Freshman designated hitter Ryan Grimet (Pearland, TX/Pearland HS) and senior
catcher Ben DiOrio (Canon City, CO/Canon City HS/Seward County CC) led off with
walks, and Flowers beat out an infield hit to load the bases. Grimet scored when
Rafferty threw the ball away past third base. Texas-Pan American hit into two
double plays and left seven runners on base.
"Nick Gregory pitched a heck of a game,
and we had our opportunities, but we couldn't take advantage of them," said UTPA
Head Coach Willie Gawlik. "Our bullpen didn't come through in the eighth inning,
but they also hit some balls that didn't make it out of the infield and were too
slow to turn a double play. They scored some of their runs without hitting the
ball out of the infield. We didn't hit the ball as we needed to. We only got
four hits, and we had situations with runners on base where we needed someone to
step up and get a big hit, and it didn't happen."
Gregory took the loss, falling to 0-1,
while Rafferty won and improved to 1-0. Chris Gressett earned his first save
with three innings of scoreless relief.
The Broncs fell to 2-3 with the loss,
which ended their two-game winning streak, while SHSU improved to 1-0. Texas-Pan
American will return to action when they play Kansas at 5:00 p.m. Sam Houston
State and Lamar will play at 9:00 Saturday evening.