For Immediate Release: Tuesday, April 1, 2003
Contact: Dave Geringer, UTPA Sports Information Director

BRONCS, JAVELINAS SPLIT DOUBLEHEADER

EDINBURG, TX-Each team took their turn making a comeback in the doubleheader between The University of Texas-Pan American's baseball team and Texas A&M-Kingsville at the Edinburg Baseball Stadium Tuesday evening.

The Broncs scored twice in the bottom of the 10th inning to win the opener, 10-9. The Javelinas turned the tables in the nightcap, scoring six runs in the top of the seventh and final inning and holding on for a 10-8 victory.

Sophomore shortstop Marco Garza (Mission, TX/Sharyland HS) greeted reliever Chris White with an RBI single in the bottom of the 10th inning to give the Broncs the win in the opener. Garza's single capped a two-run rally that allowed the Broncs to come from behind and win their sixth one-run game in seven tries this season.

Freshman second baseman T.J. Gilmer (Forney, TX/Forney HS) led off the 10th with a walk and stole second. Freshman right fielder Otis Powers (Brownsville, TX/Rivera HSW) reached on a throwing error by shortstop Brandon Wittner, and Gilmer advanced to third when relief pitcher Jarod Garza threw wildly to second base attempting to pick him off. Senior right fielder Jerome McCoy (Fort Worth, TX/Eastern Hills HS/Northeast Texas CC) singled to right to score Gilmer. Freshman left fielder Louie Alamia (Edinburg, TX/Edinburg North HS) was intentionally walked to load the bases, and White then came in to face Garza.

The Broncs scored first on a first-inning RBI single by sophomore first baseman Tony Ortiz (Fort Worth, TX/Nolan HS), but TAMUK tied it in the second on shortstop Denzil Davis' double. Designated hitter Mike Aguirre hit a solo homer and a three-run homer for the Javelinas, but the Broncs scored three times in the seventh on singles by Alamia, junior third baseman Matt Sisk (Fort Worth, TX/Arlington Heights HS)/New Mexico) and sophomore catcher Matt Eichel (Grapevine, TX/Grapevine HS), and twice more in the eighth on RBI hits by Alamia and Garza.

Junior righthander Johnny Gibson (Sachse, TX/Naaman Forest HS/Collin County CC), the third of three Texas-Pan American pitchers, earned the win with three innings of scoreless relief and improved to 5-2. Jarod Garza took the loss and fell to 1-1.

Texas-Pan American took a 7-1 lead after four innings in the nightcap. Ortiz doubled home two runs in the first, Garza's sacrifice fly and an error by left fielder Rick Dyer accounted for two more runs in the second, and Alamia's two-run single and another sacrifice fly by Garza made it 7-1 in the fourth.

TAMUK battled back, scoring twice on Bryan Shippey's double in the fifth and once on Alamia's error in the sixth.

Ortiz's throwing error allowed Javelina third baseman Thomas Melvin to reach base to begin the seventh. After a walk, Gibson relieved sophomore Juan Saenz (Mission, TX/Mission HS). Aguirre's single made it 7-5, and a two-run double by pinch-hitter Darrell Edgar tied the score. Rudy Rendon doubled home the go-ahead run, and an inside-the-park home run by center fielder Jonathan Forte made it 10-7.

Senior Bruce Kennedy (Mansfield, TX/Mansfield HS/Northeast Texas CC) hit a two-out, pinch-hit homer in the bottom of the seventh to make it 10-8, and Ortiz beat out an infield hit. But Aaron Smith relieved Jarod Garza and induced Sisk to ground out to third base to end the game.

"We didn't play good fundamental baseball," said UTPA Head Coach Willie Gawlik. "We made nine errors for the doubleheader, and there were too many times where we didn't make a play and it opened the gates for them to score. We should have had both games wrapped up, but we made too many mistakes."

Garza earned the victory in the nightcap and improved to 2-1, while Gibson took the loss and fell to 5-3.

The Broncs are now 17-16 after the split, while Texas A&M-Kingsville is now 24-14. Texas-Pan American will return to action when they visit Texas A&M-Corpus Christi for a three-game series this weekend.

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