March 16, 2004

Box Score

Edinburg, Texas - Texas-Pan American (13-11) got back on the winning track with a 7-5 win over Texas-Arlington (11-8) at the Edinburg Baseball Stadium tonight. The Broncs bounced back from a loss to Texas-San Antonio on Saturday and picked up their seventh win in the last ten games.

In the third inning, Aaron Flowers (Jr./Rowlett, Texas/Northeast Texas CC) opened up with a double down the left field line. T.J. Gilmer (So./Forney, Texas/Forney HS) laid down a bunt single to move Flowers to third. Marco Garza (Jr./Mission, Texas/Sharyland HS) grounded out to the shortstop to score Flowers and make it 1-0.

The Mavericks answered in the top of the fourth inning. Paul Bruder singled and reached second when Justin Bogy (Sr./West Columbia, Texas/West Columbia HS) threw a grounder from Daniel Lenihan into center field. A ground out advanced the runners one base each. Carey Avants laced a double to right center to score Bruder and Lanihan to make it 2-1, UTA.

UTPA retaliated in the bottom of the fourth inning. Phillip Rodriguez (Fr./Edinburg, Texas/Edinburg North HS) was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a ground out by Matt Sisk (Sr./Fort Worth, Texas/Arlington Heights HS). Matt Eichel (Jr./Grapevine, Texas/Grapevine HS) singled through the right side to score Rodriguez. Eichel moved to second on a passed ball and scored when Flowers ripped another double down the left field line.

Things remained quiet until the seventh inning. The Broncs gave up a walk, a single and a walk to load the bases with no one out. Johnny Gibson (Sr./Sachse, Texas/Collin County CC) came in and got a fielder's choice from Bruder that got Ryan Nelson out but pushed Aaron Batlle across the plate. A single by Lenihan scored Hunter Pence. Gibson then got a line out and a fielder's choice to end the inning.

In the bottom of the seventh with one out, Louie Alamia (So./Edinburg, Texas/Edinburg North HS) singled to left field to extend his hitting streak to 21 games. Garza then singled to left center and a grounder by Tony Ortiz (Jr./Fort Worth, Texas/Nolan HS) moved Alamia to third and Garza to second. A pitch to load the bases for Sisk, who then singled to left field to score Alamia and Garza, hit Rodriguez.

Texas-Arlington would battle back in the eighth inning. Brett Lewis singled to third base and moved to second on a sac bunt. Following a ground out, the Broncs intentionally walked Pence. Bruder then singled to left center to score Lewis to tie the game at 5-5. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Flowers led off with his third double of the night down the left field line. That tied the single-game school record held by four other batters. A sacrifice bunt by Gilmer moved Flowers to third. After a line out, Garza drew a walk to put runners on the corner. Tony Ortiz then ripped a double to right center to score Flowers and Garza. Ricky Broyles (Jr./Longview, Texas/Northeast Texas CC) moved from third base to pitch and got a ground out and single. Broyles then got Avants to hit into a double play to end the game.

For UTPA, Flowers was 3-for-3, scored two runs, drove in one and had three doubles, Eichel was 2-for-3 with a run and a RBI and Garza scored two runs. Gibson gave up three hits and one run in two innings to move to 2-0. Broyles gave up one hit in one inning for his sixth save of the year. That is tied for second on the single-season list and tied for seventh on the career list. Alamia also extended his reaching base safely streak to 35 games.

For UTA, Pence was 3-for-4 and Nelson and Bruder had two hits each. Mike Snapp gave up two hits and one run in one inning to fall to 1-1 on the season.

"Once again our pitching did a great job for us." Said head coach Willie Gawlik. "I thought that Justin pitched a great game. Except for the fourth, he threw very well. Johnny came into the game with bases loaded and no one out and pitched out of it for us. He minimized the bleeding for us in that inning. Ricky is a competitor coming from playing third the whole game to pitching the ninth. He is the kind of guy that you want on your team. Tony is the kind of player who will go 1-for-4 but that one hit is clutch like his shot to the outfield today. I think it's awesome that Aaron had three doubles. Texas-Arlington is a very tough team. We have to come out tomorrow and throw strikes which will allow us to play great defense."

Texas-Pan American finsihes the series with Texas-Arlington on Wednesday, March 17. The game is scheduled to start at 2:00 p.m.