Vaqueros fall late against Demons in series opener

NATCHITOCHES, La. – The UTRGV baseball team, which is receiving votes in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association polls for the fourth week in a row, allowed three runs with two outs in the ninth as part of a 7-6 loss to the Northwestern State Demons on Friday at Brown-Stroud Field.

Sophomore Armani Raygoza led the Vaqueros (20-9, 12-4 SLC) by going a career-high tying 4-for-6 with a career-high three doubles, two RBI, and a run scored. Sophomore Easton Moomau finished a career-high tying 3-for-6 with a double and two runs scored. Junior Thomas Williams went 2-for-4 with two doubles, a walk, an RBI and a run scored. Graduate student PSJA HIGH alum Jacob Sanchez finished 2-for-4. Senior Hank Warren reached base three times with a single and two walks. Over the last four games, Warren has reached base 17 times in 21 plate appearances for an .810 on-base percentage.

 The first five Vaqueros reached in the first, including a Raygoza RBI-double and a bases loaded walk by sophomore Rene Galván. One out later, Williams grounded out to bring home Raygoza and put the Vaqueros up 3-0.

Raygoza hit another RBI-double in the second to give the Vaqueros a 4-0 lead.

In the bottom of the second, Daniel Burroway hit a 2-run home run off graduate student Angelo Cabral to bring the Demons (19-11, 11-5 SLC) within 4-2.

The Vaqueros got a run back in the third. Williams led off with a double, moved to second on a sacrifice fly, and then scored on an RBI-single by sophomore Evan Janner to put the Vaqueros up 5-2. 

The Vaqueros loaded the bases with one out in the fourth, setting up a sacrifice fly by sophomore Edinburg Vela alum Rudy Gonzalez to make the score 6-2.

The Demons pulled within 6-3 in the sixth on a two-out RBI-single by Reese Lipoma.

In the seventh, Lipoma hit an RBI-triple to bring the Demons within 6-4.

That was it against Cabral, who struck out a season-high tying nine while allowing seven hits and two walks in 6.1 innings.

The Demons tied the game with two outs in the ninth on RBI-singles by Samuel Stephenson and Rocco Gump against junior Nick Nolan (0-1). Junior Steven Oliva then came into the game and threw a wild pitch, allowing Stephenson to score to end the game.

That made a winner of Austin Anderson (1-0), who pitched 1.2 innings of scoreless relief.

UTRGV and Northwestern State play the middle game of this three-game series on Saturday at 2 p.m. Fans can watch domestically on ESPN+ or internationally via Southland International.

The post Vaqueros fall late against Demons in series opener appeared first on MyRGV.com.