Texas Border Business
EDINBURG – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) baseball team scored nine runs in the fourth inning to beat the University of Rhode Island (URI) 15-3 in game one of a doubleheader on Saturday at UTRGV Baseball Stadium.
UTRGV (7-3) has now won five in a row.
The 15 runs are the most UTRGV has scored in a game since March 23, 2013 in a 15-3 victory over Arlington Baptist.
UTRGV finished with 21 hits, the team’s highest total since recording 21 hits in a 16-4 win over Houston Baptist on April 29, 2011.
UTRGV broke a 1-1 tie in the fourth by sending 13 batters to the plate, the first 10 of which reached base on nine hits, including three doubles, and a walk. Freshman Vela alum Aaron Galvan hit two doubles in the inning, including one to start the frame. Junior Tyler Torres singled to put runners on the corners and set up an RBI-single by junior Elijah Alexander. Sophomore Mercedes alum Oliver Closner IV then placed a perfect bunt down the third base line to load the bases. Freshman Jacob Flores followed with a two-run single. After a walk by senior Andy Atwood reloaded the bases, senior Anthony Gomez hit a two-run double to knock out Vitaly Jangols (0-2). Junior Conrado Diaz then welcomed reliever Nate Seprosky with a two-run single. Senior Coleman Grubbs followed with a single and Galvan hit his second double of the inning to drive-in a run. Torres then hit a fly ball to right on which Grubbs scored to cap the inning with UTRGV up 10-1.
Galvan added an RBI-double in the sixth and scored on an Alexander single. Galvan also had a sacrifice fly in the first while going a career-best 3-for-4 with a career-high three doubles, a walk, a career-high tying three RBI, and two runs scored. Galvan is now 5-for-8 with six RBI in the series.
Gomez finished a career-high tying 4-for-5. Grubbs went 3-for-4. Alexander went 2-for-3 with a walk. Flores finished 2-for-5 with a career-high three RBI and two runs scored, capping the game with an RBI-double in the sixth. Flores then scored on a Gomez single.
UTRGV also scored in the eighth on an RBI-single by junior Nick Contreras.
Senior Trevelle Hill(3-0) cruised on the mound, striking out six while allowing just five hits in six innings.
URI (2-6) scored in the first on an error, in the seventh on a Max Mircovichdouble and in the eighth on a Kevin Heisssingle.
UTRGV and Rhode Island play game three of this four-game series at approximately 3:45 p.m.
