NATCHITOCHES, La. – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros baseball team, which is receiving votes in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association polls for the fourth week in a row, fell to the Northwestern State Demons 8-5 in the second game of a doubleheader on Sunday at Brown-Stroud Field.
Senior
Steven Lancia led the Vaqueros (21-10, 13-5 SLC) offensively by going 2-for-5 with a double, an RBI, and a run scored. Freshman
Cameron Carter went 2-for-4 with a double and a run scored.
Braden Benton led off the second with a home run to put the Demons (20-12, 12-6 SLC) up 1-0.
The Vaqueros responded by sending 10 batters to the plate to take a 4-1 lead in the third. Graduate student PSJA alum
Jacob Sanchez, Carter, and graduate student Vela alum
Isaac Lopez started the inning with singles. Junior
Thomas Williams hit a chopper to second that
Hudson Brignac couldn't handle, allowing two runs to score. Back-to-back wild pitches allowed Lopez to score and Williams to move to third. Lancia capped the inning with an RBI-single.
The Demons loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth, setting up a run-scoring walk by Benton to make the score 4-2. Junior
Caden Wanless came into the game and struck out
Daniel Burroway to end the inning.
Wanless pitched 1.1 scoreless innings, striking out two, after junior Los Fresnos alum
Víctor Loa struck out six in 4.2 innings.
The Demons scratched across an unearned run on a Burroway RBI-fielder's choice with two outs in the seventh to make the score 4-3.
The Vaqueros got that run back in the eighth on a sacrifice fly by junior
Rene Galván against
Carter White (2-1) that made the score 5-3.
The Demons put runners at first and second to start the eighth, setting up a Brignac RBI-double to knock out
Robert Bonilla (1-2). Senior
Jacob Limas came in and struck out the first two batters he faced. After an intentional walk loaded the bases, though, Benton hit a grand slam to give the Demons an 8-5 lead.
The Vaqueros tried to rally in the ninth, as Lopez doubled and Raygoza walked to bring the tying run to the plate, but
Bryce Leonard recorded the final out for his first save.
The Vaqueros close out this 10-game road trip on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Louisiana. Fans can watch on
ESPN+.
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