DALLAS – Junior Freddy Rojas Jr. homered for the sixth-straight game, but The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros baseball fell to the Dallas Baptist University Patriots, a team receiving votes in the latest USA Today Coaches and NCBWA polls, 4-2 on Friday at Horner Ballpark.
 
The Vaqueros (11-11) trailed 2-1 with one out in the eighth when Rojas launched an 0-2 pitch over the right-center field wall to tie the game.
 
In a span of six games, the reigning Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week now has three solo home runs, a pair of two-run shots and a grand slam.
 
Rojas is now two games with home runs away from tying the NCAA record of eight-straight games with a home run, accomplished twice, by Ryan Jackson (Duke) March 18-April 1, 1994 and Andy Bruce (Georgia Tech), March 2-10, 1991.
 
The Vaqueros trailed 2-0 after six innings. Junior DeAndre' Shelton drew a bases-loaded walk in the seventh to make the score 2-1.
 
Senior Chase Bridges (1-1) retired the first six batters he faced. In the ninth, however, Jace Grady singled and Austin Bell hit a walk-off home run.
 
Graduate student Max Balderrama Jr. started and allowed one run on three hits and two walks while striking out five 5.0 innings. 
 
Balderrama struck out the side in a perfect third. In the fourth, however, the Patriots (13-6) puts runners at second and third with one out, setting up a Bell RBI-single. 
 
The Patriots added a run in the sixth on an RBI-single by Andrew Benefield. During the next at-bat, though, junior Vela alum RJ Ochoa threw out Benefield trying to steal second base. 
 
Patriots starter Dominic Hamel pitched 6.0 scoreless innings, striking out nine while allowing three hits and one walk.
 
UTRGV and Dallas Baptist play game three of this four-game series on Saturday at 2 p.m. Fans can watch online at PatriotBroadcastingNetwork.com.

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