For Immediate Release: March 22, 2002
Contact: Dave Geringer, UTPA Director of Athletic Media Relations, (956) 381-2240

BRONCS FALL TO TEXAS

AUSTIN, TX –The University of Texas-Pan American’s baseball team had some opportunities in their game at 15th-ranked Texas Friday.

However, the Broncs did not take advantage of them, and they fell to the Longhorns, 10-0, in the first game of their three-game series at Disch-Falk Field.

The Broncs saw their first three batters reach base in the top of the first inning against UT’s ace lefthander, Brad Halsey. But junior shortstop Jerome McCoy (Fort Worth, TX/Eastern Hills HS/Northeast Texas CC) was caught attempting to steal third base, and junior left fielder Bruce Kennedy (Mansfield, TX/ Mansfield HS/Northeast Texas CC) was caught off second.

UTPA had two batters reach base at the start of the second inning when senior designated hitter Adam Farek (Crockett, TX/Crockett HS/Cedar Valley CC) walked and junior catcher Sean Flynn (Bradenton, FL/Bradenton Christian Academy) reached on an error by first baseman Jeff Ontiveros. But Flynn was caught stealing second, and Halsey retired the side without allowing another baserunner.

Texas broke through in the first inning when second baseman Tim Moss singled, stole second and scored on a double by left fielder Brandon Fahey. UT scored another run in the second on a run-scoring double by center fielder Kalani Napoleon, and added two more in the fourth on consecutive sacrifice flies by third baseman Omar Quintanilla and designated hitter Dustin Majewski after loading the bases with none out.

The Longhorns doubled their advantage in the fifth. Shortstop Michael Hollimon and right fielder Joe Ferin walked, and both scored when Flynn made an errant throw on Napoleon’s sacrifice attempt. Moss singled in another run, and a fourth run scored on Quintanilla’s infield out.

 “They gave us some opportunities early, but we didn’t take advantage of them,” said UTPA Assistant Coach Johnny Johnson. “We couldn’t capitalize, and, if we had, we might have taken the lead early in the game. Then things blew up on us in the fifth inning. We took some tough hops off the AstroTurf, the balls bounce up a lot higher than they usually do, and we weren’t used to it. We had chances to make some double plays, and we weren’t able to make them. We have to come out tomorrow and play like we played the last four games, instead of trying to do too much.”

Halsey improved to 4-0, allowing five hits in six innings, while Tim McGough finished for his first save of the season. Senior righthander Justin Dowd (Waxahachie, TX/Waxahachie HS/Navarro JC) pitched the first four innings and took the loss, falling to 0-4, while senior Ed Marko (Chardon, OH/Notre Dame- Cathedral-Latin/Cleveland State) finished up.
 
The loss snapped the Broncs’ four-game winning streak, dropping them to 6-16. UT improved to 22-6.

The teams will continue their series at 2:00 Saturday afternoon..

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