RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros baseball team scored nine runs in the third inning to beat the Northern Illinois University Huskies 15-2 in seven innings on Saturday at UTRGV Baseball Stadium.
 
The Vaqueros (5-4) sent 15 batters to the plate in the third, scoring on six hits and six walks. The inning started with a walk by graduate student Coleman Grubbs. Sophomore Diego Ramirez followed with an RBI-triple and then graduate student Joseph Impeduglia hit an RBI-single. The next two batters walked. A wild pitch scored a run and then another walk re-loaded the bases. Graduate student Elijah Alexander came up as a pinch-hitter and cleared the bases with a double, knocking out Nate Thomas (0-2). A walk and an out later, Grubbs grounded out to score a run. Ramirez knocked in a run with a single. One walk later, postbaccalaureate student Christian Sepulveda capped the inning with an RBI-single, making the score 12-2.
 
Ramirez finished 3-for-4 with a triple, two RBI and two runs scored. Alexander went 2-for-3 with a double, three RBI and two runs scored. Grubbs drove-in a season-high four runs while going 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored. Junior Freddy Rojas Jr. finished 2-for-4 with a walk and two runs scored.
 
Sophomore Colten Davis (3-0) made the runs stand up, pitching a career-high 5.0 innings, striking out a career-high six while allowing a pair of unearned runs on four hits. He didn't walk anybody.
 
The Huskies (1-4) got their runs in the first on a passed ball and a Kam Smith single.
 
The Vaqueros got one back in the bottom of the inning as graduate student Conrado Diaz hit a two-out triple, the first of his career, and then Grubbs brought him in with a single.
 
The Vaqueros scored two more runs in the second as junior DeAndre' Shelton hit an RBI-double and freshman Spencer Serven drove-in a run with a ground ball to make the score 3-2. 
 
The Vaqueros added three runs in the fourth on a two-run single by Grubbs and a sacrifice fly by sophomore Angel De La Cruz.
 
UTRGV and Northern Illinois wrap up this four-game series on with a doubleheader on Sunday at 12 p.m. at UTRGV Baseball Stadium. Game one is scheduled for seven innings while game two is scheduled for the full nine. UTRGV Athletics is capping capacity at UTRGV Baseball Stadium at about 1,000 fans. Single-game tickets can be purchased online at UTRGVTickets.com. For more information about game day, visit GoUTRGV.com/game-day.
 
Fans can also watch for free online at WACDigitalNetwork.com.

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