For Immediate Release: April 13, 2002
Contact: Dave Geringer, UTPA Director of Athletic Media Relations, (956) 381-2240

BRONCS, HUSKIES SPLIT

EDINBURG, TX –The University of Texas-Pan American baseball team and Houston Baptist took turns exchanging fine pitching performances Saturday,

The Broncs won the opener, 3-0, behind senior lefthander Frank Hames (Elgin, TX/Elgin HS/Navarro JC), while HBU won the nightcap, 4-2.

James allowed just two hits, walked two and struck out seven, pitching his second complete game shutout of the season in the seven-inning first game. James was touched for a double in the third inning by center fielder Mark Maxwell, and a single in the sixth by second baseman Jeremy Green. 

UTPA got the only run it would need in the fourth. Senior third baseman Adam Farek Crockett, TRX/Crockett HS/Cedar Valley CC) singled and was sacrificed to second by junior right fielder Skip Weast (Inola, OK/Inola HS/Crowder JC). Freshman first baseman Chris Jones (Colleyville, TX/Colleyville HS) singled to score Farek.

The Broncs added some insurance an inning later. Freshman center fielder John Lopez (Mission, TX/Mission HS), junior second baseman  Jerome McCoy (Fort Worth, TX/Eastern Hills HS/Northeast Texas CC) and junior left fielder Bruce Kennedy (Mansfield, TX/Mansfield HS/Northeast Texas CC) led off with singles, scoring Lopez. Kennedy then tried to steal second, and was caught, but stayed in the rundown long enough to allow pinch-runner Omar Pena (Mission, TX/Mission HS) to score.

James earned the win and improved to 5-6, while HBU started Matt LeLaurin took the loss and fell to 1-3.

The Huskies took advantage of a fielding lapse by UTPA in the third inning of the nigthcap. First baseman Kyle Smith singled, and took second on an error by freshman right fielder Tony Ortiz (Fort Worth, TX/Nolan HS). Maxwell sacrificed Smith to third, and right fielder Pat Penry’s single made it 1-0. Left fielder Craig Bowser followed with a grounder to third, and reached when farelk threw wildly attempting to start a double play. Designated hitter Joey Gregory singled to center, scoring Penry, and Bowser scored from second on an error by freshman center fielder Jonathan Mason (San Antonio, TX/Jay HS). Green singled to drive in the final run of the inning.

Mason hit a two-out, solo home run into the left field bullpen in the fifth to get UTPA on the board. In the seventh, the Broncs cut the deficit further. Mason bunted for a hit with two out, stole second and third, and scored on Lopez’ single to right field. But lefthander Michael Hanks got freshman second baseman Marco Garza (Mission, TX/Sharyland HS) to hit into a fielder’s choice to quell the uprising.

Hanks allowed seven hits, walked one and struck out four, improving to 5-1. Sophomore Justin Bogy of the Broncs also pitched a complete game, but suffered the loss and fell to 3-3.

“Frank pitched very well, and we got some key hits in the first game,” said UTPA Head Coach Reggie Tredaway. “Justin pitched well in the second game, but we made three errors in one inning. We threw the ball all over the place, and you can’t afford to do that. You have to give their lefthander credit, he threw three pitches for strikes, and did a good job changing speeds.”

UTPA is now 12-27 after the split, while the Huskies are now 28-12. The Broncs will return to action when they visit Texas-San Antonio in a doubleheader Wednesday afternoon.

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