UTRGV Baseball clinches series victory over New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS – The UTRGV Vaqueros baseball team clinched its second-straight Southland Conference series victory by beating the New Orleans Privateers 14-8 on Saturday at Maestri Field, marking the Vaqueros’ six-straight win.

This is the Vaqueros’ (10-2, 5-0 SLC) longest winning streak since April 11-30, 2021, when the Vaqueros won seven-straight games. 

The Vaqueros are off to the best overall start since 2017, when they also started 10-2.

The Vaqueros are off to their best conference start since 2012, when they started 8-0 in Great West Conference play. 

Sophomore Armani Raygoza led the Vaqueros offensively, going 3-for-5 with his team-leading fourth home run, three RBI and two runs scored. Sophomore Easton Moomau drove-in a career-high tying three runs, one of which came on his first-career home run. Senior Hank Warren went 2-for-5 with two RBI and two runs scored. Senior Steven Lancia walked a career-high five times, scoring twice.

The Vaqueros sent 12 batters to the plate in the second. Lancia led off with a walk against Zach Longshore (0-3). After a Raygoza infield-single, graduate student PSJA High alumnus Jacob Sanchez was plunked to load the bases. Junior Rene Galván followed with a 2-run double and then Warren hit a 2-run single. After a sacrifice bunt, graduate student Edinburg Vela alumnus Isaac Lopez hit a 2-run double. An error brought home another run. Two batters later, Raygoza recorded his second hit of the inning, this one to drive-in a run, to make the score 7-0.

The Vaqueros drew three 2-out walks to load the bases in the third. Moomau got plunked and then Lancia walked to force-in runs, making the score 9-0.

Junior Los Fresnos alumnus Víctor Loa (3-1) held the Privateers (7-6, 2-3 SLC) off the board until the fourth when Jahlani Rogers hit a 3-run home run to make the score 9-3.

That was it against Loa, who struck out five in 5.0 innings

Moomau answered in the fifth with a solo home run to put the Vaqueros up 10-3.

In the sixth, the Vaqueros loaded the bases with one out, setting up a run-scoring walk by junior Thomas Williams and a Moomau sacrifice fly to make the score 12-3.

The Privateers got three back with two outs in the eighth when PSJA High alumnus Diego Villescas hit a 2-run single and Matt Gonzalez was plunked with the bases loaded to force-in a run and make the score 12-6.

Raygoza responded with a 2-run home run with two outs in the ninth to put the Vaqueros up 14-6.

Rogers added a 2-run home run in the ninth to complete the scoring.

UTRGV and New Orleans complete this three-game series at 1 p.m. Sunday in a game that will be broadcast domestically on ESPN+ and internationally via Southland International.

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