UTRGV picks up two wins over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi

CORPUS CHRISTI – The UTRGV baseball team, which is receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association polls for the third week in a row, hit a season-high tying three home runs to beat the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders 11-8 in game two of a doubleheader on Saturday at Chapman Field as part of the South Texas Showdown, presented by Rally Credit Union.

The Vaqueros (19-7, 12-2 SLC) are tied for the sixth-best start in program history and their best since 2012 (19-7).

Graduate student PSJA High alum Jacob Sanchez led the Vaqueros by going a career-high tying 3-for-4 with a home run, a walk, and a career-high four runs scored. Graduate student Vela alum Isaac Lopez also homered while going 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Sophomore Armani Raygoza went 2-for-4 with a home run, a walk, and a career-high tying four RBI. Senior Hank Warren went 3-for-4 with two RBI and a run scored. Freshman Cameron Carter went 2-for-5 with an RBI.

Sanchez launched his fifth home run of the season against David Dean (1-2) in the first to put the Vaqueros up 1-0.

In the fourth, Sanchez led off with a single and then Raygoza belted a 2-run home run, his team-leading ninth of the season. One out later, junior Rene Galván doubled, Warren hit an infield-single, and Carter hit an RBI-single. Sophomore Vela alum Rudy Gonzalez followed with a pop up into shallow right. Warren hustled home to put the Vaqueros up 5-0.

Junior Wyatt Wiatrek (4-0) retired the first seven hitters and 12 of the first 13 he faced. In the fifth, though, Logan Vaughan and Cade Sanchez hit back-to-back doubles to bring the Islanders (9-20, 1-10 SLC) within 5-1.

That was it against Wiatrek, who struck out five while scattering six this and one walk in a career-high tying 6.0 innings.

Lopez hit his fourth home run of the season in the seventh, the 20^th of his career, to break a tie for fifth place in program history, now trailing only Brandon Pimentel (31, 2022-23), Hall of Famer Mitchell Moran (27, 1981-83), Freddy Rojas Jr. (21, 2020-22), and Jesse Gutierrez (21, 2000). Sophomore Easton Moomau and Sanchez followed with singles. They advanced to second and third on an error before scoring on a Raygoza 2-run single, putting the Vaqueros up 8-1.

In the seventh, the Islanders put two on with one out, setting up a pinch-hit RBI-single by JJ Bush. One batter later, with the bases loaded, Trey Cruz hit an RBI-infield single. Isaac Webb followed by hitting into an RBI-fielder’s choice. Vaughan then hit a 2-run single to bring the Islanders within 8-6.

The Vaqueros got three runs back in the ninth. The Vaqueros loaded the bases with one out, setting up a sacrifice fly by junior Thomas Williams. One batter later, with the bases reloaded, Warren hit a 2-run single to cap the scoring.

The Vaqueros got three runs back in the ninth. The Vaqueros loaded the bases with one out, setting up a sacrifice fly by junior Thomas Williams. One batter later, with the bases reloaded, Warren hit a 2-run single, to put the Vaqueros up 11-6.

Junior Nick Nolan pitched the final two innings for his first save. After retiring the first five hitters, Nolan allowed three-straight two-out hits in the ninth, capped by a Vaughan 2-run double.

UTRGV and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi close out the series on Sunday at 1 p.m. on ESPN+.

GAME 1

Graduate student Angelo Cabral was strong in a career-high 8.2 innings to lead UTRGV past the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders 3-2 in game one of a doubleheader at Chapman Field as part of the South Texas Showdown, presented by Rally Credit Union.

Cabral (3-0) struck out five while scattering eight hits without walking anybody. He threw 67 of his 96 pitches (69.79%) for strikes.

Junior Steven Oliva recorded the final out for his third save.

The game was tied at 2 entering the ninth. Gage Burdick (1-2) plunked junior Rene Galván to start the inning. He then threw a wild pitch to allow Galván to advance to third. Tristan Crane came in with a 1-1 count on senior Hank Warren and got a groundout that advanced Galván to third. Freshman Cameron Carter followed with a sacrifice fly to give the Vaqueros (18-7, 11-2 SLC) the lead.

Islanders (9-19, 1-9 SLC) starter Zach Garcia held the Vaqueros to one hit across the first 4.2 innings. With two outs in the fifth, though, sophomore Edinburg Vela alum Rudy Gonzalez singled. Graduate student Edinburg Vela alum Isaac Lopez followed with a single to center. An error allowed the runners to move to second and third, setting up a 2-run single by sophomore Easton Moomau to put the Vaqueros up 2-0.

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