RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros baseball team earned a 10-5 win over the Central Michigan Chippewas (CMU) in the first game of a Friday doubleheader at UTRGV Baseball Stadium.  
 
First pitch of the second game of the doubleheader between the Vaqueros and Chippewas will be at 7 p.m. 
 
UTRGV (4-1) graduate student starting pitcher Jesus Aldaz got the win following an impressive six innings of work. He struck out seven while allowing just one earned run, three hits and two walks. Redshirt sophomore Edinburg Vela alum Isaac Lopez notched two hits, including a solo homerun. Graduate student first baseman Brandon Pimentel hit a two-run homerun. Eight Vaqueros tallied at least one hit.  
 
CMU (3-2) graduate student starting pitcher Garrett Navarra took the loss after giving up five runs on four hits and four walks in five innings of work. The Chippewas issued nine walks while only striking out one UTRGV batter. 
 
Aldaz racked up six strikeouts through his first three innings of work. He strung together four strikeouts, two swinging then two looking, for the final out of the first inning and to strike out the side in the second. 
 
The Chippewas took a 1-0 lead in the top of the third with help from a leadoff walk and an error at third. A bases-load walk to Justin Simpson scored a run and kept the bags juiced with no outs. Aldaz came back to record two huge strikeouts and force a pop out to right to leave the bases loaded and limit the damage. Aldaz retired the next eight batters he faced after allowing the run. 
 
Junior shortstop Kade York knocked UTRGV's first hit of the ball game in the home half of the third, sending a single to center field. He came around to score on a wild pitch, tying the contest. Then, Lopez blasted a solo homerun over the left field wall to put UTRGV on top, 2-1. 
 
Pimentel doubled the score with a two-run bomb just inside the left field foul pole in the bottom of the fourth. Then UTRGV showcased selfless offense as junior third baseman Damian Rodriguez laid down a sacrifice bunt to put two runners in scoring position and York followed suit with a RBI groundout to second, making it 5-1 Vaqueros heading to the fifth. 
 
York made another team play at the plate in the bottom of the six, laying down a sacrifice bunt to put two runners in scoring position with one out. UTRGV loaded the bases after senior centerfielder Zerek Saenz worked a walk. Sophomore catcher Steven Lancia scored on a wild pitch, then back-to-back walks were issued by Ryan Insco to score another run, putting UTRGV up 7-1 heading to the seventh. 
 
Lancia and redshirt sophomore Erick Martinez knocked back-to-back hits in the bottom of the seventh to move into scoring position. After an error at second following a Saenz shot, Lancia and Martinez came around to score, with Martinez sliding into home headfirst to beat the throw. Graduate student right fielder Montclair Cain delivered an RBI single through the right side to put UTRGV in control 10-1 heading to the eighth. 
 
CMU put up a four-spot in the top of the ninth with two outs, but the comeback fell short. Marquis Jackson drove in one on a single to left center, then Ely Stuart roped a three-run RBI down the left field line to make it 10-5. 

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