For Immediate Release: March 20, 2002
Contact: Dave Geringer, UTPA Director of Athletic Media Relations, (956) 381-2240

BRONCS SWEEP JAYHAWKS

EDINBURG, TX –For the second consecutive game, pitching and defense was the order of the day as The University of Texas-Pan American’s baseball team met Kansas.

The Broncs got good pitching and played well defensively in defeating the Jayhawks, 7-2, and sweeping the two-game series at the Edinburg Baseball Stadium.

Sophomore righthander Justin Bogy (West Columbia, TX/West Columbia HS) allowed one run and four hits in seven innings of work. He walked one batter, struck out five and retired the side in order five times.

For the second consecutive game, UTPA jumped ahead early. With one out in the second inning, junior designated hitter Jarrad Maddox (Houston, TX/Jersey Village HS/Northern Arkansas JC) reached base when KU second baseman Casey Spanish misplayed his grounder. Junior catcher Sean Flynn (Bradenton, FL/Bradenton Christian Academy) followed with a single, moving Maddox to third. Flynn was picked off by KU starting pitcher Dan Olson, but freshman second baseman Marco Garza (Mission, TX/Sharyland HS) followed with a single to score Maddox. A single by freshman first baseman Chris Jones (Colleyville, TX/Colleyville Heritage HS) moved Garza to second. Freshman center fielder John Lopez (Mission, TX/Mission HS) scored Garza, and Jones came home when Lopez broke for second base, was then caught in a rundown, and stayed alive long enough for Jones to score.

Kansas scored their first run of the series in the top of the third. Shortstop Brandon Shepard led off with a triple to right-center field, and scored when a relay by junior shortstop Jerome McCoy (Fort Worth, TX/Eastern Hills HS/Northeast Texas CC) sailed into the KU dugout. One out later, left fielder Bobby Bartow and center fielder Lance Hayes singled to put two men on base. But Bogy induced right fielder Matt Tribble to hit into a double play that ended the inning.

The Broncs increased their lead in the fourth. With two outs, Flynn doubled off the center-field wall. Garza beat out a hit to third base, and Flynn scored on third baseman Ryan Klocksien’s throwing error.

UTPA scored three runs in their final two at-bats. Lopez led off the seventh with a single up the middle, stole second, and moved to third on Olson’s errant pickoff throw. One out later, lefthander Tom Gorzelanny relieved Olson. Gorzelanny struck out junior left fielder Bruce Kennedy (Mansfield, TX/Mansfield HS/Northeast Texas CC), but the third strike eluded KU catcher Cole Armstrong, and Lopez scored.

Freshman right fielder Tony Ortiz (Fort Worth, TX/Nolan HS) led off the eighth by reaching on an error by Shepard. Freshman Juan Saenz (Mission, TX/Mission HS) pinch-hit a single, and was replaced at first by freshman Jonathan Mason (San Antonio, TX/Jay HS). Flynn sacrificed the runners over, and, one out later, Jones walked to load the bases. Lopez then bounced a single up the middle to make it 7-1.

The Jayhawks scored again in the ninth. Designated hitter Ryan Baty led off with a double to right-center and scored when McCoy’s throw on first baseman Kevin Wheeler’s grounder went awry.

 “Justin stayed ahead in the count, and he made them swing the bats, and that’s what you have to do to get people out,” said UTPA Head Coach Reggie Tredaway. “We gave up 11 hits in 18 innings, and that’s the way we need to be able to pitch. We’re not going to strike out a lot of people, but we went out and got people who could improve our defense this year, and our team is starting to jell. (Junior righthander) Travis (Parker, Brownsville, TX/Hanna HS/UT-Brownsville) threw well against TCU, and (senior lefthander) Frank (James, Elgin, TX/Elgin HS/Navarro JC) led us last night, and confidence is contagious.”

Bogy improved to 1-1 with the victory. Olson fell to 3-2 with the defeat.

UTPA won for the fourth consecutive time, and improved to 6-15. Kansas lost their eighth game in succession and dropped to 10-8.

The Broncs will return to action when they visit Texas this weekend.

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