Vaqueros lasso Lumberjacks to sweep Southland series

EDINBURG – The UTRGV Vaqueros baseball team, which is receiving votes in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association polls for the fifth week in a row, secured a Southland Conference (SLC) series sweep over the Stephen F. Austin (SFA) Lumberjacks Sunday with a 12-2 run-rule win in seven innings at UTRGV Baseball Stadium.  

Redshirt junior LHP and Los Fresnos alumnus Victor Loa (5-1) earned the win as he pitched a career-high six innings of scoreless baseball. He struck out three while allowing three hits and four walks. Senior Hank Warren had a career-high tying three RBI on a 2-for-3 day with a walk. Graduate student and Edinburg Vela alumnus Isaac Lopez went 3-for-5 with a two-run home run, his sixth of the season and 22^nd in his career, moving him to No. 3 all-time in UTRGV history. Redshirt sophomore Armani Raygoza also had a two-run homer and went 2-for-2 with three walks.

UTRGV (25-10, 16-5 SLC) got the scoring started in the second, taking advantage of back-to-back walks to open the frame. Redshirt junior Thomas Williams moved the runners into scoring position, then Warren dropped an RBI single to left for the 1-0 lead. Freshman Cameron Carter followed with an RBI fielder’s choice to second. 

The Vaqueros scored five in the third on five hits. Lopez got the hit parade started with a leadoff single, then graduate student PSJA High alum Jacob Sanchez dropped a bunt single between the pitcher and third baseman to load the bases with no outs. Sophomore Easton Moomau delivered with a two RBI single up the middle, then Williams singled through the left side to make it 5-0. Warren cleared the bases with a two RBI double down the right field line to increase the Vaqueros lead to 7-0.

A leadoff walk followed by a hit batter and a bunt single loaded the bases with ‘Jacks with nobody out in the top of the fourth. Loa worked out of the jam with help from a 4-3 double play on a liner to Williams, who then got the runner at first after taking too big of a lead. Loa got the third out via a swinging strikeout.  

Raygoza launched a two-run home run to center in the sixth, extending the lead to 9-0. But the ‘Jacks (9-26, 2-16 SLC) got two back in the seventh on back-to-back RBI singles from Cermodrick Bland and Cooper Schneider off UTRGV junior RHP Caden Wanless, who took the mound in relief to start the frame.

The Vaqueros scored three in the home half of the seventh to earn the walk-off victory. Lopez lifted his home run over the left field wall into the bullpen to make it 11-2. Sophomore Evan Janner came on to pinch run Raygoza after a single. Janner advanced to third on a single from Sanchez, then scored the winning run on a wild pitch.

Garrett Landry took the loss for SFA, pitching 2.1 innings and allowing six earned runs on four hits and four walks.

UTRGV’s next game will be at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday against #2 Texas in Austin.

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