HOUSTON – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros baseball team scored four runs in the seventh to tie the game before falling to the Rice Owls 6-4 on Tuesday Reckling Park.
The Vaqueros (14-15) trailed 4-0 entering the seventh. With one out, Carson Kuhn (1-0) plunked junior Chayton Fischer and then graduate student Austin Stracener singled. Senior Hank Warren followed with an RBI-double and sophomore Sharyland Pioneer alum Andy Chapa hit an RBI-single. After a single by junior Rene Galván and a wild pitch put runners at second and third, junior Rocco Garza Gongora hit a two-run single to tie the game.
Garza Gongora finished 2-for-3 with a walk and two RBI.
In the bottom of the inning, though, the Owls (18-12) put runners at second and third with two outs against junior Ruben Gonzalez (0-1), setting up an RBI-single by Paul Smith to make the score 5-4.
That made a winner of Ethan Atchley (3-1), who recorded the final out of the seventh.
The Owls added a run in the eighth when Kutter Gage Webb scored on a balk.
Jeremiah Arnett pitched 2.0 scoreless innings for his first save.
The Owls put runners at second and third with one out in the first. Smith hit a two-run single to give the Owls a quick 2-0 lead.
With Mason Ashlock at third and two outs in the second, Cole Green hit an RBI-double and Colin Robson hit an RBI-triple to put the Owls up 4-0.
The Vaqueros’ bullpen took control for the next four innings, as sophomore Harrison Thayer pitched a hitless third, senior Los Fresnos alum Víctor Loa pitched a scoreless fourth, and junior La Joya alum JC Gutierrez struck out three in 2.0 scoreless innings.
UTRGV returns home for its next four games starting with the opener of a three-game Southland Conference series against first place Northwestern State, which is one game ahead of UTRGV, on Friday at 6:30 p.m. at UTRGV Baseball Stadium during Selena Night, presented by KYWW Puro Tejano 1530 AM and KGBT 98.5 La Preferida. The first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive Anything for Los Vaqueros cups. There will be Selena music all night, Selena bingo, and a Selena look-a-like contest.
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at UTRGVTickets.com. Current UTRGV students receive free general admission with a digital ticket that can be acquired at GoUTRGV.com/StudentTickets while also showing their student ID. Fans can learn more about game day, including parking information, maps, and the clear bag policy, by visiting RallyTheValley.com.
Fans can watch domestically on ESPN+ or internationally via Southland International.
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