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, beat the Northwestern State Demons 8-5 in the first game of a doubleheader on Sunday at Brown-Stroud Field.
The Vaqueros (21-9, 13-4 SLC) and Demons (19-12, 11-6 SLC) play game two of the doubleheader at approximately 4:45 p.m. Fans can watch domestically on
ESPN+ or internationally via
Southland International.
Graduate student Vela alum
Isaac Lopez led the Vaqueros by going 3-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run scored. Freshman
Cameron Carter went 2-for-5 with a triple and a career-high tying two runs scored. Junior
Thomas Williams finished 2-for-3 with a walk and a run scored.
Daniel Burroway homered off junior
Wyatt Wiatrek (5-0) to put Demons up 1-0 in the second.
The Vaqueros responded in the third against
Tyler Bryan (1-4). Carter led off with a triple and scored on a Lopez sacrifice fly. Junior
Thomas Williams followed with a walk before advancing to second on a wild pitch and to third on an error. He then scored on an RBI-single by
Steven Lancia, who later scored on another error to put the Vaqueros up 3-1.
With two outs in the fourth, Carter singled and stole second. Lopez drove-in Carter with a single. Then, after a Williams single, sophomore
Armani Raygoza hit an RBI-double to make the score 5-1.
Clay Jung homered in the bottom of the inning to bring the Demons within 5-2.
Senior
Hank Warren extended the Vaqueros' lead to 6-2 with a sacrifice fly in the sixth.
In the bottom of the sixth, though, the Demons put two on with two out to set up an RBI-single by
Hudson Brignac, bringing the Demons within 6-3.
That was it against Wiatrek, who pitched 5.2 innings, striking out five while allowing seven hits and two walks.
Burroway hit a 3-run home run in the seventh to bring the Demons within 6-5.
Graduate student PSJA alum
Jacob Sanchez gave the Vaqueros some insurance with a 2-run home run in the ninth. It was Sanchez's sixth home run of the season and the 15
th of his career. Sanchez is now tied with Raygoza (2024-Present),
Richard Messer (1987-88), and
Tommy Supak (1980-81) for the 15
th most home runs in program history.
Freshman
Harrison Thayer pitched 2.1 scoreless innings of relief for his third save.
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