For Immediate Release: May 5, 2002
Contact: Dave Geringer, UTPA Director of Athletic Media Relations, (956) 381-2240

TEXAS A&M-CORPUS CHRISTI RALLIES TO DEFEAT BRONCS

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX –The clock struck midnight early on The University of Texas-Pan American’s bid to win the final game of their three-game baseball series at Islander Field on the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi campus Sunday.

The Broncs scored five runs in their first at-bat, and had a 7-0 lead in the third inning. But host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi scored five times in their final at-bat, including four runs with two outs, and defeated Texas-Pan American, 8-7, in a game that was scheduled for seven innings by mutual agreement.

The Broncs started off quickly, as junior second baseman Jerome McCoy (Fort Worth, TX/Eastern Hills HS/Northeast Texas CC) led off the top of the first with a single, and stole second. Sophomore third baseman Matt Sisk (Fort Worth, TX/Arlington Heights HS/New Mexico) singled to score McCoy. Junior right fielder Skip Weast (Inola, OK/Inola HS/Crowder JC) followed with a two-run homer. Freshman shortstop Marco Garza (Mission, TX/Sharyland HS) then singled, and freshman first baseman Carlos Gallardo (Mission, TX/Sharyland HS) followed with another two-run blast to make it 5-0.

UTPA added two more in the third. Freshman right fielder Tony Ortiz (Fort Worth, TX/Nolan HS) walked and moved to third on Garza’s single. Gallardo followed with a triple to make it 7-0.

The Islanders got three in their half of the third. Shortstop Roberto Santana drove in the first run with a single, and first baseman Humberto Aguilar followed with a two-run homer.

There was no more scoring until the seventh. Center fielder Michael Bruner led off the bottom of the seventh with a triple and scored on a single by Jaime Landin, who started the game at second base and took over on the mound n the fourth. Garanzuay grounded into a double play. Santana then walked, stole second and scored on Aguilar’s single. Junior righthander Travis Parker (Brownsville, TX/Hanna HS/UT-Brownsville) then replaced starter Frank James (Sr. Elgin, TX/Elgin HS/Navarro JC). Pinch-hitter Blair Bourque walked , and designated hitter Rene Chavez followed with a run-scoring single. Catcher Jimmy Fly was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and left fielder Angel Velazquez walked with the bases full to tie the score. Chavez then scored on Parker’s wild pitch to end the game.

Landin earned the victory in relief, improving to 2-0, while Parker was the loser and fell to 3-8.

The Broncs dropped to 15-35 with the defeat, while TAMU-CC improved to 2429. UTPA will return to action when they play a three-game series at Texas Tech this weekend.

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