Box Score

NEWARK, New Jersey – Roger Bernal recorded his sixth-straight multi-hit game to lead the University of Texas-Pan American Broncs baseball team past the New Jersey Institute of Technology Highlanders 5-3 on Friday at Bears and Eagles Riverfront Stadium.
 
Bernal went 2-for-4 and is now 13 for his last 26 (.500) to raise his batting average to .426, fifth best in the NCAA.
 
The Broncs (24-14, 11-6 GWC) created a run in the top of the first against Mark Leiter (4-6). Bernal reached on a one out single and moved to third on an error. A groundout advanced Bernal to third and a wild pitch brought him home to make it 1-0.
 
The Highlanders (18-20, 9-8 GWC) responded in the bottom of the inning against Colby McCasland. Jeff Peterson reached on a one-out single, moved to second on an error, to third on a single and then home on an RBI-single by Ed Charlton to make it 1-1.
 
The Broncs took the lead for good in the third. Riley Goulding drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on a passed ball, to third on a groundout and scored on an error to make it 2-1.
 
In the fifth, the Broncs put two on with one out to set-up an RBI-single by Bernal that made it 3-1.
 
The Highlanders got that run back in the bottom of the inning, but the Broncs added two in the sixth on an RBI-single by Goulding and an error.
 
Goulding recorded his second-straight multi-hit game, going 2-for-3.
 
The Highlanders tried to rally in the ninth against Zach Zouzalik (7-1) as Mike Rampone and Peterson drew leadoff walks on full counts to bring the tying run to the plate. With one out, Charlton hit an RBI-single, but James D'Aloia grounded into a double play to end the game.
 
Zouzalik pitched five innings of relief, allowing one run on three hits and two walks while striking out one.
 
The Broncs and Highlanders play games two and three of this four-game series with a doubleheader on Saturday at 12:00 p.m. Game one is scheduled to last seven innings while game two is slated to last the full nine.
 
The University of Texas-Pan American Department of Intercollegiate Athletics competes at the NCAA Division I classification. UTPA, formerly known as Pan American College and Pan American University, is a part of the University of Texas System of Schools. The Broncs compete in 14 varsity sports; men's and women's basketball, golf, tennis, track and field, and cross country, along with women's volleyball and men's baseball. In 1963, then known as Pan American College, the Broncs men's basketball program won the NAIA National Championship with a 73-62 victory over Western Carolina. In 2008 UTPA joined the new all-sports division of the Great West Conference.