For Immediate Release: March 24, 2002
Contact: Dave Geringer, UTPA Director of Athletic Media Relations, (956) 381-2240

BRONCS SWEPT AT TEXAS

AUSTIN, TX –Good pitching stops good hitting. The University of Texas proved that again Sunday, as five Longhorn pitchers combined to shut out the Broncs for the third time in as many days, winning 20-0 Sunday afternoon at Disch-Falk Field.

The Broncs were held to five hits. They threatened in the third inning against UT starter Ray Clark when freshman second baseman Marco Garza (Mission, TX/Sharyland HS) led off with a single to right field and moved to second on a one-out single by freshman center fielder John Lopez (Mission, TX/Mission HS). But junior shortstop Jerome McCoy (Fort Worth, TX/Eastern Hills HS/Northeast Texas CC) lined into a double play to end the inning.

Junior right fielder Skip Weast (Inola, OK/Inola HS/Crowder JC) led off the fifth with a double. He moved to third on an infield out, but was left there as reliever Buck Cody retired the side.

McCoy led off the ninth with a single, stole second and moved to third on a hit by senior third baseman Adam Farek (Crockett, TX/Crockett HS/Cedar Valley CC). However, Texas pitcher Kevin Frizzell retired the side to end the game.

The shutout was UT’s fourth in succession. It allowed the Longhorns to set a record for consecutive scoreless innings.

Bronc senior lefthander Frank James (Elgin, TX/Elgin HS/Navarro JC) was knocked out after allowing 13 runs (six earned) in 3 2/3 innings. Center fielder Joe Ferin had three hits, including a double, and four RBIs, while second baseman Tim Moss doubled, homered, and drove in three runs. Right fielder Ryan Hubele also drve in three runs, while first baseman Jeff Ontiveros added a two-run homer. Texas scored four runs in the second inning, and added seven runs in the fourth. Six of the runs were unearned as they came with two out after Hubele opened the inning by reaching on McCoy’s error.

”It was just one of those games where they hit everything we threw up there,” said UTPA Head Coach Reggie Tredaway. “Frank has been pitching really well, but everything they hit today had eyes, and it just got away from us. Their pitching was the best we’ve seen all year, and they just shut us down.”

Clark, the first of five Texas pitchers, improved to 3-2, while James dropped to 4-4. Texas improved to 24-6 with the victory, while UTPA fell to 6-18. The Broncs will return to action when they host Houston Baptist in a doubleheader Friday afternoon. The first game will start at 4:00 p.m.                                         

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