CORPUS CHRISTI – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros baseball team fell to the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders 5-4 on Wednesday at Chapman Field.
 
Down 3-2 entering the seventh, freshman Caden Rosholt drew a leadoff nine-pitch walk. Junior Jose Garcia followed with a single to right. Two outs later, with the runners at second and third, senior Cole Loncar lined a single to left to drive-in both runs to give the Vaqueros (17-16) the lead.
 
In the eighth, however, the Islanders (13-24) tied the game on a two-out single by Cullen Jozwiak against sophomore George Lamb (0-1).
 
The Islanders then loaded the bases with nobody out in the ninth, setting up the game-winning walk by Nick Anderson.
 
Garrett Harris (2-0) pitched a perfect ninth for the win.
 
The Vaqueros erased deficits on two other occasions, tying the game at 1 on an RBI-groundout by junior Joseph Collazo in the third, and tying the game at 2 on an RBI-double by senior Scott Mercer in the fifth.
 
Garcia finished a career-best 4-for-5 with a double and a career-high tying three runs scored. Loncar and Mercer each finished with two hits. Loncar added a triple, a walk and two RBI.
 
The Islanders got on the board in the second when Brian Deaver hit a home run down the right field line to make it 1-0.
 
The Islanders took a 2-1 lead in the fourth when Anderson doubled into the right-center gap to score Zack Gibson from first.
 
The Islanders loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth. Anderson hit a groundball to short, but Rosholt's throw to first was in the dirt, allowing a run to score and put the Islanders up 3-2.
 
The Vaqueros resume Western Athletic Conference play on Friday at 7 p.m. when they host Sacramento State for the start of a three-game series during an Earth Day Celebration at UTRGV Baseball Stadium. The Earth Day celebration will feature a "Trashion Show" with the Environmental Awareness Club. There will be an "eco friendly runway" on which registered contestants will showcase clothing designed of at least 90 percent recyclable materials. The top three contestants as chosen by the judges as well as the top contestant as chosen by the fans will receive prizes. The first 150 fans in attendance will receive a reusable lime green UTRGV recycling bag. Additionally, fans that bring five empty and clean plastic bottles for recycling will receive discounted general admissions tickets at a rate of $5 for adults and $3 for children. Current UTRGV students, who get in free, will receive free popcorn. The game will be broadcast live throughout Texas on Time Warner Cable SportsChannel (323). Gates open at 6.

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