PHOENIX – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros baseball team, which is receiving votes in the latest NCBWA poll, used a seven-run fourth to beat the Grand Canyon University Lopes 9-4 in game two of a doubleheader on Saturday at Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark.
The game was tied at 2 when the Vaqueros (9-5, 2-1 WAC) loaded the bases with nobody out against
Sasha Sneider (0-1) and
Brodie Cooper-Vassalakis in the fourth. Sophomore
Angel De La Cruz got plunked to force-in a run. Junior Vela alum
RJ Ochoa followed with a two-run double. One out later, a wild pitch scored Ochoa. Then, after a walk, junior
Diego Ramirez hit into an RBI-fielder's choice. Graduate student
Conrado Diaz followed with a two-run home run to cap the inning with the score 9-2.
It was Diaz's second home run of the doubleheader and the third of his career. All three home runs have come at GCU Ballpark, including a grand slam on April 14, 2019 and a three-run shot in game one.
That made a winner of graduate student
Max Balderrama Jr. (2-0), who pitched a career-high tying 7.0 innings, striking out four while allowing two runs on five hits and one walk.
The Lopes (4-9-1, 1-2 WAC) scored their runs off Balderrama in the third on a
Juan Colato single and an RBI-fielder's choice by
Elijah Buries.
The Lopes added two more in the ninth on a home run by
Ryland Zaborowski.
The Vaqueros started the scoring right away, as graduate student
Coleman Grubbs started the game with a double and junior
Diego Ramirez followed with an RBI-single. Ramirez scored on a balk later in the inning.
Four Vaqueros had multi-hit games, led by freshman
Spencer Serven, who posted his second three-hit game, going 3-for-5 with a run scored. Ochoa finished 2-for-5 with two RBI and a run scored. Graduate student
Andy Atwood went 2-for-4 with a double, a walk and a run scored. Diaz finished 2-for-5.
UTRGV and Grand Canyon complete this four-game series on Sunday at 2 p.m. Fans can watch for free online at
WACDigitalNetwork.com.
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