RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros baseball team beat the University of Rhode Island (URI) Rams 15-1 to earn a 2-1 series victory on Monday at UTRGV Baseball Stadium.
In his first start in three years, senior
Zach Tjelmeland pitched a career-high 4.2 innings of one-run ball, striking out a career-high seven while scattering four singles. He didn't walk anybody while throwing 50 of his 65 pitches (76.9%) for strikes.
The bullpen was also impressive, as senior Vela alum
Nico Rodriguez (1-0) entered with the bases loaded and nobody out in the sixth before striking out the side. Rodriguez retired all six batters he faced, striking out four.
Junior
Mason Kosowick struck out one in a perfect eighth.
Junior
Anthony Tejada struck out the side in a perfect ninth.
Junior
Steven Lancia led the Vaqueros (2-1) offensively by going a career-best 5-for-5 with a career-high two doubles, three RBI, and two runs scored. Graduate student
CJ Valdez went 2-for-3, with a home run, a walk, a career-high six RBI, and two runs scored. Freshman
Armani Raygoza went 2-for-3 with two RBI and three runs scored. Senior
Adrian Torres went 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI, and two runs scored. Junior
Hank Warren went 2-for-4 with two RBI.
Sean Sposato (0-1) retired the first two Vaqueros he faced in the first. After a walk and an error, though, Lancia hit an RBI-double to put the Vaqueros up 1-0.
After the Rams (1-2) tied the game in the top of the third, the Vaqueros plated five runs in the bottom of the inning on a 2-run single by Lancia and a 3-run home run by Valdez.
The Vaqueros scored four more runs in the fourth on a Raygoza-run single, a Valdez sacrifice fly, and a Warren RBI-single.
The Vaqueros had another four-run inning in the sixth on a 2-run double by Valdez and RBI-singles by senior
Kade Yorkand Torres.
The Vaqueros added another run in the seventh on a Warren sacrifice fly.
UTRGV opens a three-game series against Milwaukee on Friday at 6:30 p.m. at UTRGV Baseball Stadium. The game features the Cane's Challenge. If the Vaqueros win, all fans in the stadium will receive coupons for buy one, get one free box combos at Raising Cane's on their way out.
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at
GoUTRGV.com/Tickets. Current UTRGV students receive free general admission with their student ID. All fans need to follow the clear bag policy, details of which can be found at
GoUTRGV.com/ClearBag. Gates open at 5:30 p.m.
Fans can watch domestically on
ESPN+ or internationally via
WAC International.
Support UTRGV Baseball |
Become a Fan on Facebook |
Follow us on Twitter |
Follow us on Instagram |
Follow us on YouTube
