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For Immediate Release: March 30, 2002 BRONCS SPLIT WITH TEXAS A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI
EDINBURG,
TX –For the second consecutive evening, two very different scenarios
confronted The University of Texas-Pan American baseball team in their
doubleheader at the Edinburg Baseball Stadium. Once
again, the Broncs turned the tables in the nightcap. After dropping a
10-3 decision in the opener, UTPA used a complete-game effort from
junior righthander Travis Parker (Brownsville, TX/ Homer Hanna
HS/UT-Brownsville) to defeat visiting Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 3-2,
and earn a split of their doubleheader. The Broncs got the jump on the Islanders in the nightcap. Freshman shortstop Marco Garza (Mission,
TX/Sharyland HS) led off the third inning with a single to left and
freshman first baseman Carlos Gallardo (Mission, TX/Sharyland HS)
reached on an error by shortstop Roberto Santana. Freshman center
fielder John Lopez (Mission, TX/Mission HS) then bunted for a hit to
load the bases. One out later, junior left fielder Bruce Kennedy
(Mansfield, TX/Mansfield HS/Northeast Texas CC) singled to center field
to make it 2-0. Texas
A&M-Corpus Christi scored in the fifth when catcher Blair Bourque
tripled and scored on a double by left fielder Rene Chavez. In the
eighth, Angel Velazquez led off for the Islanders with a walk and was
sacrificed to second by right fielder John Denny. Velazquez moved to
third on an infield out and scored on second baseman Hector
Garanzuay’s single to right. UTPA
scored the decisive run in the eighth. With one out, sophomore third
baseman Matt Sisk (Fort Worth, TX/Arlington Heights HS/New Mexico)
walked and moved to third on a hit and run single by freshman right
fielder Tony Ortiz (Fort Worth, TX/Nolan HS). Junior catcher Sean Flynn
(Bradenton, FL/Bradenton Christian Academy) grounded to third baseman
Jaime Landin, who threw to second for a force play. But second baseman
Garanzuay dropped the ball as he was attempting to complete the double
play, allowing Sisk to score the go-ahead run. Parker
allowed five hits, walked one and struck out 10 in pitching his first
complete game victory of the season and improving his record to 2-6.
Jimmy Hamon, who also pitched a complete game, took the loss and fell to
4-4. The
opener was scoreless for five innings. TAMU-CC broke the tie in the
sixth, scoring three times, once when Landin scored from second base on
a fielder’s choice, and twice more on a double by first baseman
Humberto Aguilar. The Islanders put the game away with seven runs in the
seventh inning. Landin had a two-run double, and Santana added a two-run
single. The
Broncs scored three times in the bottom of the seventh. Freshman
designated hitter Juan Saenz (Mission, TX/Mission HS) doubled in one
run, freshman catcher Matt Eichel (Grapevine, TX/Grapevine HS) doubled
home another, and Lopez’ sacrifice fly plated the third. Senior
lefthander Frank James (Elgin, TX/Elgin HS/Navarro JC) took the loss,
falling to 4-5, while Carlos Esquer went all the way to earn the
victory, and improve to 3-3. “Travis
pitched really well,” said UTPA Head Coach Reggie Tredaway. “He
stayed ahead in the count, and pitched a heck of a game. In the last
inning, our hit and run really paid off. We got a break when they
dropped the ball, but you have to play the game. Frank (James) was sick.
If he hadn’t been sick, he would have been able to go seven innings
easily at full strength. In a situation like that, with several people
sick, we have to be able to do a good job under adverse conditions.” With
the split, the Broncs are now 8-20, while the Islanders are 12-19. The
teams will play the decisive game of their three-game series Sunday
afternoon at 1:00 p.m BASETAMUCC033002
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