RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros baseball team erupted for nine runs in the fifth to earn a series victory over the Tarleton State University Texans by winning 11-1 in seven innings on Sunday at UTRGV Baseball Stadium to take three out of four.
 
Junior Vela alum RJ Ochoa led the Vaqueros (25-21, 16-12 WAC) by going 2-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Graduate student Joseph Impeduglia went 1-for-2 with two walks, two RBI and one run scored. Junior Freddy Rojas Jr. also drove-in two runs. Graduate student Andy Atwood reached a team-best four times with a hit and three walks, scoring once and driving-in a run. Sophomore Diego Ramirez singled, walked and scored twice. Sophomore Angel De La Cruz also scored twice.
 
The Vaqueros led 2-1 entering the bottom of the fifth. Ryan Jacobs (0-2) got ahead of De La Cruz 0-2 before plunking him. One out later, graduate student Coleman Grubbs doubled and then Jacobs intentionally walked Atwood to load the bases. Rojas followed with a two-run single, on which a throwing error allowed Atwood to move to third. Another error allowed Atwood to score. Then, after a single by postbaccalaureate student Christian Sepulveda, Ochoa hit an RBI-single. Ramirez followed with a walk to load the bases and then Impeduglia walked to force-in a run. De La Cruz and senior Jacob Hirsh hit back-to-back RBI-singles before Grubbs was plunked to force-in a run. Atwood then drew another walk to drive-in the final run of the inning. In total, the Vaqueros scored nine runs on six hits, four walks and two hit batsmen while sending 15 batters to the plate.
 
That made a winner of junior Ricky Gerik Jr. (3-2), who pitched a perfect inning of relief.
 
The Vaqueros initially got on the board in the second. Ochoa led off with a double and then Ramirez hit a fly ball to deep center field. Wade Raburn got there but closed his glove too soon, dropping the ball and allowing Ochoa to score while Ramirez went to third. Impeduglia followed with an RBI-single to make the score 2-0.
 
Sophomore Colten Davis started for the Vaqueros and pitched 4.0 scoreless innings, striking out three while allowing two hits and two walks.
 
The Texans (20-31, 13-19 WAC) scored their run in the fifth, putting two on with nobody out before Dean Frew scored when Spencer Bloom grounded into a double play. 
 
UTRGV opens its final home series, a four-game set against Northern Colorado, on Friday at 6 p.m. at UTRGV Baseball Stadium.
 
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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