Texas Border Business
HOUSTON – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros baseball team scored five runs in the fourth inning to ignite the offense and beat the Houston Cougars 9-1 on Tuesday at Schroeder Park.
Up 1-0 entering the inning, the Vaqueros (18-14) put two on with one out, setting up an RBI-double by graduate student DeAndre’ Shelton. Freshman Vela alum Isaac Lopez brought home junior Diego Ramirez by reaching on an error. Graduate student Cameron Blake capped the inning with a three-run home run to make the score 6-0.
Blake finished a career-high tying 3-for-5 with a career-high tying five RBI and a career-high tying two runs scored while finishing a double short of the cycle.
He drove-in the Vaqueros’ next two-runs with a two-out triple in the fifth and he also scored the Vaqueros’ first run on a bases-loaded walk by graduate student Brett Cain against Nathan Medrano (4-3) in the first.
Shelton also had a multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored. Lopez scored two runs as well.
Graduate student Bryan Sturges added a solo home run in the sixth, his fourth home run of the season, to make the score 9-0.
In his first-career start, freshman Randy Garza pitched a career-high 2.1 scoreless innings against his former team. Although he pitched for Houston n 2020, Garza did not make a home appearance, making this his Schroeder Park debut.
Senior Ricky Gerik Jr. (2-2) followed with 2.2 scoreless innings of relief, striking out three.
The Cougars (21-12) scored their run in the sixth on an RBI-groundout by Cameron Nickens.
Junior J.C. Ariza and graduate student Max Balderrama Jr. each pitched a scoreless inning to close out the game.
UTRGV opens a three-game series at New Mexico State on Friday at 7 p.m. Fans can watch at WACSports.com/Watch.
