BRONCS’ LATE RALLY FALLS SHORT, SWT WINS, 5-3  

Box Score and Narrative

EDINBURG, TX –For eight innings, The University of Texas-Pan American’s offense was held in check by two Southwest Texas State pitchers in the Broncs’ first game ever at the new Edinburg Baseball Stadium.

The Broncs erupted for three runs in the bottom of the ninth, but their rally fell short, and the Bobcats held on for a 5-3 victory and a sweep of the two-game, season-opening series.

Held to five hits over eight innings by SWTSU’s Paul Schappert and Brandon Hankins, the Broncs got their offense going in the final inning. With one out, junior left fielder Bruce Kennedy (Mansfield, TX/ Mansfield HS/Northeast CC) singled up the middle. Junior catcher Sean Flynn (Bradenton, FL/Bradenton Christian Academy) walked, and junior Jarrad Maddox (Houston, TX/Jersey Village HS/North Arkansas JC) slammed a three-run homer over the right field fence. But sophomore third baseman Matt Sisk (Fort Worth, TX/University of New Mexico/Arlington Heights HS) flied to right, and Hankins struck out freshman first baseman Chris Jones (Colleyville, TX/Colleyville Heritage HS) to end the game.

The Bobcats began the scoring in the second inning against UTPA senior starting pitcher Frank James (Elgin, TX/Elgin HS/Navarro JC). Evan Tierce doubled to right field, moved to third on a ground out, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Ignacio Suarez.

SWTSU increased its lead in the fifth. Aaron Perdue was hit by a pitch and Tierce walked. Marc Coles doubled to left, scoring Perdue as Tierce was cut down at the plate when junior shortstop Jerome McCoy (Fort Worth, TX/Eastern Hills HS/Northeast Texas CC) relayed Kennedy’s throw to Flynn. Suarez followed with a double to score Coles. Coles drove in a run with an infield out in the sixth, and Jacob Spencer homered in the seventh for the Bobcats.

“We’re still inexperienced, and we have to learn to play that way in every inning, not just the last one,” said UTPA Head Coach Reggie Tredaway. “It was great to see Jarrad drive in three runs. I thought Frank threw well, but we didn’t have our offense going. We have to do a better job, both leading off and with two outs. But there’s no substitute for experience, and we’ll try to keep improving.

The Broncs dropped to 0-2 with the defeat, while Southwest Texas improved to 2-0. UTPA will visit Lamar for three games next weekend and McNeese State for three the following week before returning home to play Illinois in the first game of a three-game series February 22^nd.        

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