RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros baseball team evened its Western Athletic Conference (WAC) series against the Lamar Cardinals with a 5-2 victory on Saturday at UTRGV Baseball Stadium. 
 
The win ended a five-game losing skid for UTRGV (12-10, 3-5 WAC). Graduate student catcher Bryan Sturges led the Vaqueros offensively with a 3-for-4 night with two RBI, two doubles and one stolen base. Junior RHP Colten Davis earned the win with a brilliant performance on the bump, pitching seven innings with one run on seven hits, six strikeouts and three walks. Senior RHP Ricky Gerik Jr. picked up the save, sitting down the only two batters he faced after taking the mound with bases loaded and one out in the top of the ninth. 
 
Senior RHP Adam Wheaton got the start for Lamar (15-7, 6-1 WAC). He lasted 6.2 innings, allowing five runs on nine hits and one walk while striking out five. 
 
The Cardinals went down in order in a flashy top of the first which set the tone for the game. Davis notched two strikeouts, and graduate student centerfielder Brett Cain showed off his range to travel a long way for a diving catch deep in right center. 
 
UTRGV got the scoring started with a two-spot in the second. Cain doubled to deep left center, then redshirt sophomore second baseman Alex Kelch scored him with a first-pitch-swinging RBI double down the right field line. Kelch came around to score, making it 2-0 on a throwing error by Lamar's shortstop. 
 
The Vaqueros doubled their lead in the third. Junior third baseman Diego Ramirez sent a leadoff single up the middle, then Pimentel hustled out a grounder to draw an errant throw. Sturges cleared the bases with a two-RBI single to left field, and later stole his fifth bag of the season. 
 
UTRGV's defense showed up nicely to back up Davis. Graduate student Freddy Rojas Jr. made two big catches in right field, one on a foul ball tailing away and another on a forward dive with the sun directly in his line of sight. In the fifth, Ramirez got the Vaqueros out of a bases loaded jam by smoothly handling a high-bouncing grounder, tagging his bag and delivering a strike across the diamond for the 5-3 double play. 
 
With two runners on in the seventh, Davis drew another double play. Redshirt freshman shortstop Isaac Lopez snagged a liner, and a quick toss to second got the runner who strayed too far for the double play. 
 
UTRGV padded the lead in the seventh on a RBI double from junior left fielder Brandon Pimentel that fell just out of reach of the left fielder. 
 
Lamar's first run was scored off a balk in the sixth inning. The Cardinals added another off a bases-loaded walk in the top of the ninth. Josh Blankenship, Ryan Snell and Chase Kemp had two hits apiece to lead the Cardinals.
 
Pimentel and Cain each tallied two hits for the Vaqueros. Five of UTRGV's nine hits were doubles. 
 
The rubber match between UTRGV and Lamar will be played Sunday at 12 p.m. at UTRGV Baseball Stadium.  

Support UTRGV Baseball | Become a Fan on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter | Follow us on Instagram | Follow us on YouTube