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PHOENIX – Freshman Vela alum
Aaron Galvan hit a go-ahead single in the 10
th to lead The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley baseball team to a 9-7, 10-inning win over Grand Canyon University (GCU) on Sunday at Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark, completing the three-game sweep.
This is the first-time UTRGV (23-12, 9-3 WAC) has played back-to-back extra-inning games since playing three-straight 10-inning games against Northern Colorado at home May 12-14, 2017. This is the first time UTRGV has played consecutive extra-inning games on the road since April 22-23, when UTRGV played back-to-back 10-inning games at GCU (17-18, 5-7 WAC).
UTRGV trailed 6-3 entering the ninth. Sophomore Mercedes alum
Oliver Closner IV started with a pinch-hit single. One out later, senior
Anthony Gomez drew a seven-pitch walk. Then, with two outs, junior
Christian Sepulveda singled to load the bases.
GCU went to the bullpen and summoned
Coen Wynne (0-1), who fell behind junior
Conrado Diaz 2-1. Diaz launched the next pitch over the right-center field wall to give UTRGV a 7-6 lead. It was Diaz's first-career home run.
With two outs in the bottom of the inning, though,
Pikai Winchester hit a game-tying home run to send the game to extra innings.
Junior
Tyler Torres reached on an error and moved to second on a passed ball to start the 10
th. Galvan followed with a single up the middle to drive-in Torres and give UTRGV the lead. Two batters later, with runners on the corners and one out, senior
Anthony Gomez laid down a suicide squeeze to give UTRGV a 9-7 lead.
That made a winner of senior Nikki Rowe alum
Ryan Jackson (3-3), who pitched the final two innings.
Sepulveda had multiple hits for UTRGV, going 2-for-5.
GCU led 1-0 in the first on an RBI-groundout by
Brock Burton.
UTRGV went up 2-1 in the second on a Gomez single and an error that scored sophomore
Jacob Hirsh.
GCU responded with two in the bottom of the inning on a
Preston Pavlica triple and a
Marc Mumper single before UTRGV came back to tie the game at 3 in the fourth on a Hirsh double.
That's where the score stayed until the seventh, when
Quin Cotton hit an RBI-single and
Kona Quiggle came up with a sacrifice fly to give GCU a 5-3 lead.
Cotton finished 2-for-5 with a triple and two runs scored.
Jonny Weaver also went 2-for-5.
Pavlica added a sacrifice fly in the eighth to complete the scoring.
UTRGV returns home for a three-game series against California Baptist starting on $3 Thursday at 7 p.m. at UTRGV Baseball Stadium. General admission tickets and most concession items will cost $3 or less. Gates open at 6.
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