EDINBURG – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) baseball team took the second game of the series with California Baptist University (CBU) 9-1 behind a career-high 11 strikeouts from graduate student
Conner Dotson and a pair of homeruns by junior
Christian Sepulveda on Friday at UTRGV Baseball Stadium.
Dotson (2-1) struck out 11 batters over 6.1 innings pitched while allowing just one run on six hits to earn his second win of the season.
UTRGV's (24-13, 10-4 WAC) got things rolling in the bottom of the first as Sepulveda hit his fifth home run of the season, which was a solo shot off of CBU starter
Travis Booth (3-3).
In the third, UTRGV cashed in on three walks in the inning to add to its lead. With the bases loaded and two outs, junior
Conrado Diaz hit a bases clearing three-run double to left field that made it 4-0 UTRGV.
Sepulveda wasn't done with his night as he smashed his second homerun of the game and sixth of the season to left field that pushed UTRGV's lead to 5-0. Sepulveda finished the night 2-for-4 with two RBI and three runs scored.
CBU (24-14, 9-5 WAC) got its lone run of the game in the top of the seventh. A single by
Nick Plaia knocked Dotson out of the game before an RBI double by
Harrison Spohn allowed Plaia to score from first to make it 5-1 UTRGV.
UTRGV's offense added four more runs in the eighth and it started with an RBI bunt single by sophomore Mercedes alum
Oliver Closner IV that scored junior
Elijah Alexander from third.
After a bunt single by redshirt sophomore
Jacob Hirsh loaded the bases, junior
Coleman Grubbs drove in a pair with a single to center field. One out later, senior
Anthony Gomez put a cap on the scoring with an RBI single that put the game well out of reach.
Senior Harlingen South alum
Zach Martinez pitched excellent in relief of Dotson as he pitched 2.2 innings while allowing just two hits and striking out three.
UTRGV and CBU will wrap up the series on Saturday with the first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m.
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