For Immediate Release: April 3, 2002
Contact: Dave Geringer, UTPA Director of Athletic Media Relations, (956) 381-2240

BRONCS FALL AGAIN AT SOUTHWEST TEXAS STATE

SAN MARCOS, TX –Southwest Texas State rallied for four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning and came from behind to defeat The University of Texas-Pan American baseball team, 7-3, at Bobcat Field Wednesday night.

The Broncs took a 3-2 lead into the bottom of the seventh inning behind senior righthander Ed Marko (Chardon, OH/Notre-Dame-Cathedral-Latin/Cleveland State). Pinch-hitter Jacob Spencer greeted senior reliever Justin Dowd (Waxahachie, TX/Waxahachie HS/Navarro JC) with a double. Pinch-hitter Kevin Virtue walked, and the runners moved up on a passed ball and a wild pitch. Shortstop Ignacio Suarez bunted and reached base on Dowd’s error, then designated hitter Mark Younk followed by doubling home the go-ahead runs.

UTPA trailed, 2-0 when they tied the game in the top of the third. Freshman shortstop Marco Garza (Mission, TX/Sharyland HS) led off with a single to right-center, and one out later, freshman center fielder John Lopez (Mission, TX/Mission HS) walked. The runners moved up on a wild pitch by starting pitcher Jacob Casanova. Junior left fielder Bruce Kennedy (Mansfield, TX/Mansfield HS/Northeast Texas CC) singled to left to tie the game.

The Broncs took the lead in the top of the seventh. Lopez beat out an infield hit with two outs. Junior second baseman Jerome McCoy (Fort Worth, TX/Eastern Hills HS/Northeast Texas CC) and the runners moved up on a wild pitch. Kennedy singled, scoring Lopez, but McCoy was thrown out at the plate by right fielder Coy Lowden to end the inning.

“Ed Marko threw very well for us, but his arm started to bother him a little bit, and we didn’t bring him back for the seventh inning,” said UTPA Head Coach Reggie Tredaway. “They got a couple of doubles, and we had a passed ball and an error, and they scored three runs and took the lead.”

Mike Gultz, who gave up the go-ahead run to the Broncs in the seventh inning, was the wining pitcher, improving to 2-0. Dowd took the loss, and fell to 0-6.

The Bobcats improved to 19-14 with the victory, while UTPA dropped to 8-23 with the defeat. The Broncs will begin a three-game series at Texas A&M Friday night.

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