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For Immediate
Release: Sunday, February 23, 2003 BRONCS FALL TO ARKANSAS-MONTICELLO, 6-5 EDINBURG, TX-It took The University of Texas-Pan American's baseball team eight innings to get their offense going against Arkansas-Monticello at the Edinburg Baseball Stadium Sunday. The Broncs scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth, but their comeback fell one run short, as the Boll Weevils held on for a 6-5 victory. Texas-Pan American trailed, 6-2, with two out in the bottom of the ninth when senior second baseman Jerome McCoy (Fort Worth, TX/Eastern Hills HS/Northeast Texas CC) reached on a walk, stole second, and went to third on a throwing error by catcher Justin Byrd. McCoy scored on a single by senior designated hitter Bruce Kennedy (Mansfield, TX/Mansfield HS/Northeast Texas CC). Sophomore shortstop Marco Garza (Mission, TX/Sharyland HS) followed with a two-run home run into the visiting bullpen, but reliever Dusty Keen retired sophomore catcher Matt Eichel (Grapevine, TX/Grapevine HS) on a ground ball to shortstop to end the game. UAM took a 2-0 lead in the third inning on run-scoring singles by third baseman Chris Weast and second baseman Nick Domenico. Right fielder Brett Guillory singled home another run in the third before the Broncs broke through in the bottom of the inning against starter Nick Johnson. Sophomore first baseman Tony Ortiz (Fort Worth, TX/Nolan HS) doubled and scored on a single by freshman Louie Alamia (Edinburg, TX/Edinburg North HS). The Boll Weevils scored again in the fifth, when Domenico reached on an error by junior third baseman Aldo Alonzo (Edinburg, TX/Edinburg HS/UT-Brownsville), stole second, advanced on a wild pitch and scored on Byrd's sacrifice fly. The Broncs countered in the bottom of the fifth when McCoy walked, stole second and third, and scored on Garza's single. UAM added a pair of runs in the seventh on Domenico's RBI single and Byrd's sacrifice fly, setting the stage for the Broncs' final-inning comeback that fell just short. "We made too many mistakes, and we didn't pitch very well," said UTPA Head Coach Willie Gawlik. "We had five or six chances to get a hit and score a run earlier in the game, and we didn't get it going until the ninth inning, and it was too late. We didn't make some plays we should have made, and every time that happened, it seemed like the guy ended up scoring." Garza had two hits and three RBIs to lead the UTPA attack. Freshman Jason Duhon (Maurice, LA/Abbeville HS/Grayson County College), the first of three Bronc pitchers, took the loss and dropped to 0-2. Reliever Jared Bowen earned the victory for UAM, improving to 1-0, while Keen picked up his first save of the season. The Broncs fell to 7-7 with the defeat, while the Boll
Weevils improved to 5-5. UTPA will return to action when they visit
Texas Tech Wednesday and Thursday. |