Tucson, Arizona - Arizona (21-15-1) used a big inning late in the game to take a 5-2 win over Texas-Pan American (16-28). UTPA will return to the Edinburg Baseball Stadium to take on Dallas Baptist, April 23-24. The 23rd is a doubleheader scheduled to start at 4:00 p.m. while the 24th is a single game set to go at 1:00 p.m.

Arizona got on the scoreboard first. Richard Mercado opened the second inning with a triple to right field. A ground out pushed Mercado across the plate for a 1-0 lead. Texas-Pan American came right back in the top of third. With two outs, Alfred Padron (Jr./Pasadena, Texas/Alvin CC) singled past the shortstop. Louie Alamia (So./Edinburg, Texas/Edinburg North HS) singled through the right side with Padron stopping at third. Marco Garza (Jr./Mission, Texas/Sharyland HS) lined a single to center field that scored Padron to tie the game at 1-1.

In the bottom of the seventh the Wildcats attempted to put the game away. Arizona used two hits, two walks and two sacrifice flies to score four runs and take a 5-1 lead. UTPA came fighting back in the top of the eighth inning. With one out, Alamia singled up the middle and came home on a triple down the right field line by Garza. That closed the gap to 5-2. Following a ground out, a walk put runners on the corners for the Broncs but a pop up ended the inning.

For UTPA, Garza was 3-for-4 and drove in two runs while Alamia was 2-for-4 and scored a run. Alamia extended his reaching base safely streak to 53 consecutive games. John Lopez (Jr./Mission, Texas/Mission HS) gave up four hits, three runs and struck out four batters in six innings to fall to 0-1.

For Arizona, Jason Donald was 2-for-4. Kevin Guyette gave up five hits, one run and struck out five batters in seven and one-third innings to improve to 5-4. Derek Rodriguez got UTPA to go 1-2-3 in the ninth for his 7th save of the season.

"One bad inning took the game away from us," said head coach Willie Gawlik. "John pitched a great game out there tonight. He gave us six outstanding innings. The bullpen came in and just couldn't shut the door on Arizona. We had our opportunities to win the game and we just couldn't get it done. Marco and Louie were 5-for-8 at the top of the line-up which is outstanding. However we got only two hits from the rest of the team and that will not win games."