May 22, 2008
In game five of the National Independent Tournament, The University of Texas-Pan American Broncs recorded a 5-3 victory over New Jersey Institute of Technology on Thursday night at the Edinburg Baseball Stadium.
With the victory, the Broncs improved to 19-34 overall while the Highlanders fell to 5-45 on the season.
After two scoreless innings, the Highlanders got on board with two runs on two hits in the bottom of the second. Ricky Pietrocola led off with a single to center field, advanced to second on a issued walk given to Matt Schlitter and scored on a single to right field by Dom Hayes, to give the Highlanders a 1-0 advantage.
Several miscues by the Broncs proved costly, as NJIT collected its second run of the inning. With runners on first and second, an error by the Bronc's shortstop loaded the bases for Pietrocola, who brought in a run after he was hit in the head by a Philip Rodriguez fastball.
In the top of the fourth frame, the Broncs got back on track recording two runs on three hits and tying the game at 2-2. Billy Donaho and Jordan Rutenbar led the inning off with back-to-back singles and a sacrifice bunt by Ryan Vest advanced the runners a base. Newcomer Jose Mendoza plated Donaho from third following a single to right field, to make the score 2-1. With runners on the corners, senior Ruben Shives Jr. tied the game with a fielder's choice to the shortstop.
The Highlander's took advantage of two miscues by Broncs' pitcher Rodriguez on a wild pitch and an error which later scored Pietrocola following a sacrifice fly to center field by Schlitter, to retake a 3-2 lead.
The Broncs dug themselves out of the 3-2 deficit collecting two runs on two hits in the top of the fifth frame. With one out, Roly Gonzalez led off with a single to shortstop, advanced to second, collecting his 42nd stolen base of the season. A two RBI double by Rutenbar plated Gonzalez and Bonham Hough who reached on a walk earlier in the inning, to make the score 4-3.
Both teams were held silence in the next three frames until the top of the ninth when the Broncs produced a solo run on two errors by the Highlanders. Shives Jr. and Andrew Perez both reached on miscues by NJIT's infielders and a sacrifice fly by Jeremy Johnson plated Shives, to give the Broncs a 5-3 lead.
The Broncs fifth run of the game would be all they would need to secure their first win of the National Independent Tournament and their 19th win of the 2008 campaign.
Philip Rodriguez collected his first win of the season, pitching 6.2 innings, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out six batters.
Jordan Rutenbar finished a perfect 3-for-3 on the night with two RBI's and one run scored while Gonzalez went 2-for-4 with one run scored.
The Broncs will be back in action tomorrow night at 7 p.m. when they match-up against New York Tech in the third day of the National Independent Tournament.
UTPA Sports Information
