RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros baseball team fell to the California Baptist University Lancers, a team receiving votes in the latest NCBWA poll, 3-2 in seven innings in the first game of a doubleheader on Friday at UTRGV Baseball Stadium.
 
The Vaqueros (12-14, 4-6 WAC) scored their first run in the first when, with runners at second and third and one out, junior Freddy Rojas Jr. hit a grounder to short to bring home graduate student Conrado Diaz. The Vaqueros went on to strand the bases loaded down 2-1.
 
Bryan Pope (4-2) settled in from there, pitching 5.0 innings, striking out six while allowing five hits without a walk.
 
The Vaqueros got one more run off of Pope, as graduate student Andy Atwood and Rojas led off the sixth with singles to knock out Pope. After a sacrifice bunt, junior Brett Cain grounded out to bring home Atwood and make the score 3-2.
 
Rojas and Atwood each finished 2-for-3, with Rojas adding a double.
 
The Lancers (17-6, 10-0 WAC) got on the board against graduate student Max Balderrama Jr. (3-1) in the first on a two-run single by John Glenn.
 
The Lancers added a run in the third on an RBI-double by Ulises Caballero.
 
Balderrama pitched 5.0 innings, striking out two while allowing seven hits and three walks.
 
CJ Culpepper recorded the final four outs for his eighth save.
 
UTRGV and California Baptist play game two of this doubleheader, scheduled for the full nine innings, at approximately 3:40 p.m. UTRGV Athletics is capping capacity at UTRGV Baseball Stadium at approximately 1,200 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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