HUNTSVILLE – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros baseball team hit four home runs in a game for the second time this season while beating the Sam Houston Bearkats 8-5 in 10 innings on Tuesday at Don Sanders Stadium.
The Vaqueros (16-20) opened the game with back-to-back home runs as junior
Rocco Garza Gongora led off with a 416' home run to center on the second pitch of the game and senior
Thomas Williams belted the ninth pitch of the game 344' to left field to make the score 2-0.
In the second, with the score tied at 2, the first two Vaqueros hit fly balls to the warning track. The third batter, sophomore Sharyland Pioneer alum
Andy Chapa, homered 397' to center to put the Vaqueros up 3-2.
Then, in the ninth, with the Vaqueros down 5-4, junior
Andrew Taylor launched the first pitch of the inning 344' to left field to tie the game. Taylor now has two home runs this season, both of which have been during late pinch-hitting appearances.
The Vaqueros loaded the bases with one out in the 10
th to knock out
Noah Kendrick (1-1). Chapa greeted
Sean Bazmore with a two-run single on his first pitch. One out later, Bazmore threw a wild pitch to score graduate student Vela alum
Rudy Gonzalez, putting the Vaqueros up 8-5.
That made a winner of sophomore
Harrison Thayer (5-2), who struck out three in 2.0 scoreless innings of relief.
Garza Gongora finished 2-for-5 with a career-high tying two stolen bases. Chapa went 2-for-4 with a walk, a career-high three RBI and a career-high tying two runs scored. Williams walked a season-high three times while going 1-for-3. Junior
Easton Moomau also had a multi-hit game, going a career-high tying 3-for-5.
Chapa led off the fourth with a walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and to third on a groundout before scoring on a wild pitch to put the Vaqueros up 4-3.
Senior
Caden Wanless pitched well for the Vaqueros, striking out two in a season-high 2.0 scoreless innings. Senior
Nick Nolan also had a good outing, pitching 1.1 scoreless innings, striking out one.
The Bearkats (14-22) loaded the bases with two outs in the first.
Nathan Fink was plunked to force-in a run before a run-scoring wild pitch tied the game at 2.
Wes Baker homered to tie the game at 3 in the second.
Cade Corcoran hit a two-run home run in the fifth to put the Bearkats up 5-4.
UTRGV returns home for a three-game Southland Conference series against fellow defending conference champion Southeastern on Friday at 6:30 p.m. at UTRGV Baseball Stadium in a game that will be televised nationally on ESPNU.
It's 956 Night, presented by Payne Auto Group. The first 2,000 fans in attendance will receive 956 Night t-shirts. Fans will be treated to a postgame drone show. Some fans will be invited onto the field to take part in the grito contest. Fans will be treated to a pregame performance by Mariachi Aztlán starting when gates open at 5:30 p.m. This game also features the third annual Battle of the Cities in which cities from around the Valley compete in an attendance competition to win a trophy.
Tickets are going fast and can be purchased at
UTRGVTickets.com. Current UTRGV students receive free general admission with a digital ticket that can be acquired at
GoUTRGV.com/StudentTickets while also showing their student ID. Fans can learn more about game day, including parking information, maps, and the clear bag policy, by visiting
RallyTheValley.com.
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