UTRGV Baseball completes sweep of Texas Tech

UTRGV REPORT

LUBBOCK —The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros baseball team, which is receiving votes in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association polls for the eighth week in a row, beat the Texas Tech Red Raiders 7-4 on Wednesday at Dan Law Field at Rip Griffin Park to complete the two-game sweep.

The Vaqueros (30-15), now on a four-game winning streak, entered the game ranked No. 33 in the NCAA RPI while the Red Raiders (15-26) entered at No. 61.

This is the first time UTRGV has swept Texas Tech since sweeping a three-game home series March 13-14, 2000.

This is the second time UTRGV has ever won multiple road games against Texas Tech in the same season after previously taking three out of four May 10-12, 1980.

After a 30-minute lightning delay, graduate student Edinburg Vela alumnus Isaac Lopez and sophomore Armani Raygoza drew walks from Zach Crotchfelt (2-3) to start the game. Two batters later, with runners on the corners and two outs, senior Steven Lancia hit an RBI-single to put the Vaqueros up 2-0.

Senior Hank Warren opened the second with an infield-single and then postbaccalaureate student Erick Martinez, a former Red Raider, hit an RBI-double to knock out Crotchfelt. Two outs later, Raygoza hit an RBI-double. The next three Vaqueros walked, including Lancia to drive-in a run and put the Vaqueros up 5-0.

In the fifth, junior Thomas Williams hit a one-out single and scored on a Warren RBI-triple. Martinez followed with a sacrifice fly to make the score 7-0.

Warren finished 2-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and two runs scored. Raygoza went 2-for-4 with a walk, an RBI and two runs scored.

In his first-career start, senior Anthony Tejada pitched a career-high tying 2.2 scoreless innings, striking out one.

Graduate student Jack Lopez (1-1) earned the win with two strikeouts in a career-high 5.1 innings of relief.

The lone blemish against Lopez came in the ninth when Antonelli Savattere doubled and Robin Villeneuve followed with an RBI-triple to knock out Lopez. After a walk, Kyeler Thompson homered to bring the Red Raiders within 7-4.

Freshman Harrison Thayer recorded the final three outs for his fourth save.

UTRGV closes out Southland Conference play with a three-game series at Incarnate Word beginning at 2 p.m. Friday in San Antonio. Fans can watch domestically on ESPN+ or internationally via Southland International.

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