NACOGDOCHES – Juniors
Armani Raygoza and
Julius Ramirez hit two-run home runs to lead The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros baseball team past the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks 9-3 on Sunday at Pilgrim's Park.
Raygoza's home run, his 11
th of the season, traveled 385' to right and put the Vaqueros (15-20, 10-11 SLC) up 9-3 in the eighth.
Ramirez's home run, his ninth of the season, traveled 357' to right in the sixth to increase the Vaqueros' lead to 7-2.
Raygoza finished 3-for-5 with four RBI and a career-high tying three runs scored. Junior
Rocco Garza Gongora also had a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with a walk, an RBI, and a run scored.
Garza Gongora led off the game with a walk against sophomore
Dylan Mulcahy (3-3). Garza Gongora advanced to second on a balk and stole third before scoring on a Raygoza RBI-single. Two batters later, with Raygoza at second, graduate student PSJA alum
Diego Villescas hit a chopper to third for a single. The throw to first bounced short of first and got away, allowing Raygoza to score to put the Vaqueros up 2-0.
In the bottom of the inning,
Cermodrick Bland drew a leadoff walk from
Mason Engel. Bland stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch, and scored on a
Jhett Creel sacrifice fly to bring the Lumberjacks (20-17, 11-7 SLC) within 2-1.
Engel settled down to retire seven in a row and eight of the next nine.
In the second, the Vaqueros loaded the bases with one out. Raygoza hit into a fielder's choice to score senior
Damien Whitfield. During the next at-bat, Raygoza took off for second to draw a throw, allowing graduate student Vela alum
Rudy Gonzalez to come home and score while Raygoza was in a run down, extending the Vaqueros' lead to 4-1.
In the fourth, Whitfield bunted his way aboard and moved to second on a wild pitch. After Gonzalez drew a 12-pitch walk, hit an RBI-single to push the Vaqueros' lead to 5-1.
With two outs in the bottom of the inning, though
Juan Cantua doubled and
Josh Ibe hit an RBI-single to bring the 'Jacks within 5-2.
Ibe hit a sacrifice fly against senior
Kike Cienfuegos (5-2) in the sixth to bring the 'Jacks within 7-3.
Cienfuegos struck out three without walking anyone in a career-high 5.1 innings of relief.
UTRGV visits Sam Houston on Tuesday at 6 p.m. on
ESPN+.
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