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RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros baseball team scored three runs in the sixth, two in the seventh and five in the eighth to beat the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) Highlanders 11-1 on Friday at UTRGV Baseball Stadium.
 
Senior Conrado Diaz led the Vaqueros (7-7) by going 2-for-3 with three RBI and two runs scored. Senior Coleman Grubbs went 2-for-3 with two walks and three runs scored. Senior Christian Sepulveda went 3-for-5 with two RBI and one run scored. Senior Elijah Alexander finished 2-for-4 with a walk, two RBI and a run scored. Sophomore Jacob Flores came off the bench to go 2-for-2 with two RBI.
 
The Vaqueros (7-7) took an immediate lead as Diaz came up with an RBI-single against Tyler Stafflinger (1-1) with two outs in the first.
 
In the bottom of the sixth, with the score tied at 1, the Vaqueros put two on with two out to set up a Sepulveda RBI-double and an Alexander two-run single to take a 4-1 lead.
 
The Vaqueros added two more in the seventh, as with two on and one out, Diaz hit an RBI-double and Flores followed with an RBI-single.
 
The Vaqueros scored five runs in the eighth on a Hirsh single, a wild pitch, a hit batsman with the bases loaded, and singles by Flores and Sepulveda.
 
For the second start in a row, Junior Kevin Stevens (2-1) didn't allow a run until his final inning of work. He worked around seven hits, all of which were singles, and two walks while striking out eight in six innings.
 
In the first, the Highlanders (6-6) put runners on the corners with two outs, but Stevens struck out the side to escape the threat.
 
In the fifth, Alberto Choi came up with a two-out single with Brett Helmkamp at second and two out, but junior Jacob Hirsh threw out Helmkamp at the plate to end the inning.
 
The Highlanders broke through with one out in the sixth with three-straight hits, including a run-scoring single by Matthew Cocciadiferro.
 
Senior Ricky Arevalo pitched three scoreless innings for his first-career save.
 
UTRGV and NJIT play a doubleheader on Saturday at 12 p.m. Current UTRGV students receive free admission to all UTRGV home games with a student ID. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online at UTRGVTickets.com. Fans purchasing their tickets online prior to game day can save up to $2 per ticket. Gates open at 11 a.m.

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