March 19, 2005

Box Score

The University of Texas - Pan American baseball team suffered a 12-5 set back Saturday (Mar. 19) on the road against ORU. The Golden Eagles jumped off to an early 4-0 lead in the first inning and then cruised to victory recording 16 hits to the Broncs nine in the contest.

ORU went to work scoring four runs off of four hits in the first inning to build the lead early. With the four-run advantage, the Golden Eagles then gave up two hits to the Broncs in the top of the second where a Ruben Shives Jr. (Edinburg, TX/Edinburg H.S.) single would score one run to put UTPA on the scoreboard down 4-1.

In the third inning, ORU would add to their lead recording two more runs to take the score to 6-1. The Broncs were then held scoreless by the Golden Eagles defense through five straight innings of play. As the Broncs were unable to get things going offensively, the opposite would be true for ORU as they scored six runs in those five innings, including a three-run innings in the bottom of the seventh to take the score to 12-1.

The Broncs would finally stop the drought with a run in the eighth after pinch hitter David Zarate (Corpus Christi, TX/Foy H. Moody H.S.) hit an RBI single to cut into the lead 12-2. With three quick outs for the Broncs in the ninth inning, the team would head to bat for their last chance opportunity offensively. After walking Shives and Louie Alamia (Edinburg, TX /Edinburg North H.S.) reaching base on an ORU error, Zach Smith (Sanger, TX/Sanger H.S.) would hit a three RBI home run to take the score to 12-5 with no outs in the inning. However, that was as close as UTPA would get as ORU's defense would end the game and take the victory 12-5.

Smith's homer would give him a team-high three RBI in the contest, while Shives and third baseman Ricky Broyles (Longview, TX/Northeast Texas C.C.) lead the team with two hits a piece.

The team struggled on the mound as sophomore Ryne Foster (Cedar Park, TX/Cedar Park H.S.) recorded the loss giving up six runs off of seven hits in 2.2 innings pitched. Foster is now 0-4 on the season. ORU's Taylor McIntyre posted the win pitching 5.0 innings and striking out eight UTPA batters. Offensively the Golden Eagles were lead by Ricky Rivera who was perfect at-bat in his four appearances hitting a triple, a home run and recording four RBI's in the contest.

The loss took UTPA to 8-18 on the season. UTPA will finish their series against ORU Sunday (Mar. 20) with the third and final game set to begin at 12:00 p.m.

UTPA Sports Information