Texas Border Business
RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros baseball team earned a walk-off 8-7 win over the Houston Baptist (HBU) Huskies after a bases-loaded wild pitch on Tuesday at UTRGV Baseball Stadium.
UTRGV (14-10, 4-5 Western Athletic Conference) sophomore pinch runner Spencer Serven scored the winning run, increasing the team’s win streak to three games. The Vaqueros loaded the bases with one out as junior left fielder Brandon Pimentel reached on an error, then graduate students catcher Bryan Sturges and right fielder Freddy Rojas Jr. knocked consecutive singles.
Sophomore RHP Zach Tjelmeland picked up the win, tossing 1.2 scoreless innings with three strikeouts, one hit and no walks. Tjelmeland recorded a massive strikeout to end the top of the ninth, leaving a Huskies runner stranded on third.
The Vaqueros took a 1-0 lead in the fourth off an RBI sacrifice fly to right from Rojas, scoring Sturges after his extra-base single.
HBU (8-17, 2-1 Southland Conference) opened up a 5-1 lead in the seventh behind five hits and one error from UTRGV. Brennen Bales had an RBI double, Austin Roccaforte hit an RBI double, Sebastian Trinidad knocked a two-RBI double and Tyler LaRue had an RBI single in the frame.
UTRGV put up a three-spot in the home half of the frame. Graduate student second baseman DeAndre’ Shelton showed off his speed with an RBI triple deep to left center. Then, redshirt freshman shortstop Isaac Lopez blasted his first career home run over the left center wall, making it 5-4.
HBU added two runs in the eighth following an RBI fielder’s choice from Roccaforte and a UTRGV error.
With one monster swing of the bat, graduate student centerfielder Brett Cain tied the game at 7-7 in the eighth with a three-run home run off the wall in dead center.
UTRGV starting RHP junior J.C. Ariza dazzled on the mound through four innings, tying his career high with eight strikeouts while allowing no runs on two hits and two walks. Ariza struck out the side in the fourth inning to tally his eighth punchout, but he was removed due to injury as he was warming up for the fifth. Sophomore RHP Angelo Cabral entered following Ariza’s injury and pitched two hitless innings with one strikeout and one walk. HBU found success against four Vaqueros relief pitchers before Tjelmeland contained the lineup.
Sturges, Shelton and sophomore first baseman Jacob Sanchez each had two hits for the Vaqueros.
UTRGV plays its next four games on the road, starting with a three-game WAC Series at Sam Houston April 1-3 and ending with a bout at No. 8 Texas on April 5.
