EDINBURG – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley baseball team fell to Houston Baptist 3-2 on Tuesday at UTRGV Baseball Stadium.
 
UTRGV (10-8) scored its runs in the fifth on a two-run single by senior Ivan Estrella, who finished 2-for-3 with a walk. Junior Anthony Gomez went 2-for-4 with a double.
 
That was it against Marshall Heron (1-1), who pitched six innings, allowing six hits and one walk while striking out three.
 
Hunter McClellan worked around a hit and a walk in the seventh before striking out the side in the eighth.
 
UTRGV loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, but JT Newton struck out Estrella and got senior Austin Siener to fly out for his third save.
 
In his first-career start, junior Ben Butler (0-1) retired eight of the first nine batters he faced. With two outs in the third, however, HBU (6-11) drew three-straight walks to knock out Butler. Jake Pulcheon greeted junior Brownsville Veterans alum Luis Acosta with a two-run single. After a Matt Heck single reloaded the bases, Jake Scott singled to put HBU up 3-0.
 
Acota settled down from there, retiring 13 of the remaining 15 batters he faced, striking out three.
 
Senior George Lamb and freshman Max Balderrama Jr. each followed with one scoreless inning of relief.
 
UTRGV opens up a three-game series against Eastern Michigan on Friday at 7 p.m. at UTRGV Baseball Stadium. It's Youth Night. Children 13 and under will receive free admission with the purchase of an adult ticket. The first 150 kids in attendance will receive mini foam fingers. Gates open at 6.

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