SAN ANTONIO – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros baseball team extended their win streak to five in a row with a 16-5 victory over the Houston Christian University Huskies on Saturday in the first game of their doubleheader at Sullivan Field.
The Vaqueros (17-12) got out to the early lead in the top of the second against HCU starter Baylor Baumann. Sophomore
Steven Lancia started the inning with a single and then after a walk to junior PSJA alum
Jacob Sanchez, Lancia came into score on an errant throw on the double-steal giving UTRGV the 1-0 lead.
UTRGV broke it open in the top of the third. With two outs, graduate student
Brandon Pimentel doubled and then came in to score on an RBI single by senior
Roberto Gonzalez making it 2-0. Graduate student
Montclair Cain followed with a single, which knocked Baumann from the game, and then Lancia walked to load up the bases. Sanchez cleared the bases with a three-run double pushing UTRGV's lead to 5-0.
The Vaqueros added to their lead in the top of the fourth. Senior
Zerek Saenz hit a one-out single and then moved to second on a wild pitch. Redshirt sophomore and Vela alum
Isaac Lopez hit an RBI double before coming around to score on an RBI single by Pimentel making it 7-0. Later in the inning, after Pimentel moved to third on a fielder's choice, he came in to score on another wild pitch for the 8-0 advantage.
UTRGV starter junior
Angelo Cabral (6-0) went three innings while keeping the Huskies off the board and striking out two as he earned his sixth win of the season.
The Huskies (5-22) got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the fourth when
Austin Roccaforte hit a three-run home run off of UTRGV reliever
Randy Garza.
The Vaqueros loaded the bases in the top of the fifth when Saenz hit a sacrifice fly scoring Sanchez from third for the 9-3.
HCU's
Dylan LaRue delivered an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth cut into the Vaqueros lead making it 9-4 but another error by HCU in the top of the sixth allowed Sanchez to score pushing UTRGV's lead 10-4.
In the top of the seventh, with runners on the corner, a wild pitch allowed junior
Kade Yord to score from third. One batter later, Pimentel hit an RBI single that allowed Saenz to score making it 12-4 UTRGV.
HCU's Reed Chumley added another run for the Huskies with a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh making it 12-5.
UTRGV got four more runs in the top of the ninth on a pair of two-run home runs by Pimentel and Lancia to extend their lead to 16-5.
The Vaqueros and Huskies will play game two of their doubleheader with first pitch slated to begin in 30 minutes.
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