April 25, 2006
Box Score
The University of Texas-Pan American baseball team fought to the end against the seventh-ranked University of Texas Longhorns but wound up on the wrong end of an 8-6 decision in Austin, TX on Tuesday (Apr. 25).
The Longhorns scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the first inning when Chance Wheeless drove in the first run with a double down the right field line. Bradley Suttle followed with a single up the middle to drive in the second run.
The Broncs answered in the top of the second with four straight base hits. Patrick Brooks (Vallejo, CA/Santa Rosa J.C.) led off the inning with a double in to the left field corner and then scored on a two-run home run off the bat of freshman Abraham Garcia (McAllen, TX/McAllen Memorial H.S.). Catcher Brady Honeycutt (Rosebudd, TX/Rosebudd-Lott H.S.) ripped a triple down the left field line and then crossed home as Chris Lozano (El Paso, TX/Phoenix College) singled through the left side of the infield to give UTPA a 3-2 lead.
The Bronc lead did not last long as Texas pounded out five straight hits, including a three-run home run by Drew Stubbs, off starter Dane Mason (Marlton, NJ/Oklahoma State). The Longhorns scored six runs in the second inning to take an 8-3 lead. UTPA went down in order over the next two innings but came back to life in the fifth.
Jason Buhagiar (Penngrove, CA/Santa Rosa J.C.) opened the inning with a double and T.J. Gilmer (Forney, TX/Forney H.S.) singled two batters later to give the Broncs men on first and third with one out. Osiel Flores (Mission, TX/UT-Brownsville) then smacked a double to left-center field to drive in two runs and knock Texas starter Kenn Kasparek out of the game. Brooks then lined a single in to center field with two outs to score Flores and pull the Broncs within two.
Bronc relievers held the Longhorns to just three singles and no runs over the final six innings. In the top of the ninth, Buhagiar reached third base on an error by the first baseman with two outs, bringing the tying run to the plate. The Broncs were unable to push anymore runs across the plate, however.
Chad Linder (Reklaw, TX/Rusk H.S.) pitched 3.1 innings, following Mason on the mound, allowing three hits and just one unearned run while striking out two. Senior Aaron Guerra (Edinburg, TX/Edinburg H.S.) worked 1.2 innings, facing just five batters and striking out four of them. With the loss, Mason's record falls to 6-4 on the season.
Brooks was the only Bronc hitter to collect multiple hits in the game, going 2-for-4 with one run scored and one run batted in. He improved his current hitting streak to 12 games. Louie Alamia (Edinburg, TX/Edinburg North H.S.) also extended his own hitting streak to 20 games by going 2-for-5. He is now two games behind the record of 22 straight games that he tied in 2003.
Flores finished the night 1-for-4 with two runs batted in and one runs scored. Garcia's home run was his first of the season and career. He went 1-for-4 in the game and drove in two while scoring one.
The Broncs are now 20-24 on the season while the Longhorns improved their record to 29-14.
UTPA next travels to Myrtle Beach, SC where they will play three games against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers beginning on Friday (Apr. 28) at 6:00 p.m.
UTPA Sports Information
