MESA, Ariz. – No. 7 The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros baseball team won by double-figures for the fourth-straight game for the first time in program history, 14-4 in seven innings over the No. 6 UT Arlington Mavericks in the Western Athletic Conference Tournament opener on Tuesday at Hohokam Stadium, the spring training home of the Oakland A's.
The Vaqueros (30-24) advance to face No. 1 Grand Canyon on Wednesday at 10:30 p.m. Fans can join other Vaqueros fans to watch the game at a watch party at Walk-On's Bistreaux & Bar at 415 Trenton Rd. in Edinburg. The game will be broadcast domestically on
ESPN+ and internationally via
WAC International.
The Vaqueros are now amid their fourth-straight 30-win season, not including the abbreviated 2020 season.
Zach Norris (2-2) held the Vaqueros to one hit over the first three innings. In the fourth, however, sophomore Vela alum
Isaac Lopez led off with a single and graduate student
Brandon Pimentel was hit by a pitch. Senior
Roberto Gonzalez walked to load the bases, setting up a game-tying single by graduate student
Montclair Cain. One out later, junior
Adrian Torres hit a go-ahead single. Junior
Kade York followed with an RBI-single that brought home two runs due to an error. One batter later, with York at third, senior
Zerek Saenz laid down a suicide squeeze to give the Vaqueros a 6-2 lead.
Cain drew a leadoff walk in the fifth and was immediately put in motion, allowing him to score on a double by sophomore
Steven Lancia to put the Vaqueros up 7-2.
Saenz drew a leadoff walk in the sixth. One out later, Saenz moved to second on an errant pickoff throw, allowing him to score on a Pimentel single. Then, with two outs, Pimentel stole second and scored on a Cain single to make the score 9-2.
The Vaqueros put runners on the corners with one out in the seventh to set up an RBI-double by Pimentel and a 2-run single by Gonzalez. Then, after a Cain single, Lancia hit a 2-run double to put the Vaqueros up 14-3.
Cain finished 3-for-3 with a walk, three RBI and three runs scored. Lancia went 3-for-5 with two doubles and three RBI. Pimentel finished 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and three runs scored. Lopez went 2-for-3 with two runs scored.
Junior
Angelo Cabral (10-2) made the runs stand up, allowing four runs (one earned) on six hits and three walks while striking out five in 6.1 innings.
Junior
Zach Tjelmeland recorded the final two outs.
The Mavericks (26-28) scored a pair of unearned runs in the first without getting the ball out of the infield thanks to an infield-single, a hit batsman, an error, and a pair of fielder's choices.
The Mavericks scratched across another unearned run in the sixth on a sacrifice fly by
Cade Sumbler to make the score 9-3.
Garrison Berkley hit a leadoff home run in the seventh to complete the scoring.
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