For Immediate Release: Wednesday, April 23, 2003
Contact: Dave Geringer, UTPA Sports Information Director, (956) 381-2240

BRONCS SPLIT WITH TEXAS-SAN ANTONIO

SAN ANTONIO, TX-The University of Texas-Pan American's baseball team was able to hold on in the first game, but not in the second game of their doubleheader against Texas-San Antonio at Roadrunner Field Wednesday afternoon.

The Broncs won the opener, 11-6, but the Roadrunners came back to take the nightcap, 16-10.

Texas-Pan American scored eight runs in their first two at-bats to take an 8-1 lead before holding off a late charge by UTSA to win the opener. Sophomore shortstop Marco Garza (Mission, TX/ Sharyland HS) singled to center field in the top of the first, and subsequently scored on the front end of a double steal. Sophomore designated hitter Juan Saenz (Mission, TX/Mission HS) then doubled Garza home, and senior left fielder Bruce Kennedy (Mansfield, TX/ Mansfield HS/Northeast Texas CC) singled to score Saenz and make it 3-0, UTPA, in the first inning.

Texas-Pan American increased their lead in the second. Senior right fielder Jerome McCoy (Fort Worth, TX/Eastern Hills HS/Northeast Texas CC) singled, moved to second on a single by freshman left fielder Louie Alamia (Edinburg, TX/Edinburg North HS), and stole third. Garza singled McCoy home, Saenz singled home two more runs, and Kennedy capped the rally with a two-run homer to left field.

UTSA scored twice in the fifth. Designated hitter Cory Horton drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly, and shortstop Clint Sansom, who took over for Crew, followed with a solo homer. The Roadrunners scored twice more in the sixth on second baseman J.R. Voyles' sacrifice fly and a run-scoring single by center fielder Danny Phillips. Junior righthander Johnny Gibson (Sachse, TX/Naaman Forest HS/Collin County CC) relieved starter John Lopez (So. Mission, TX/Mission HS) and got Sansom to ground out to end the rally, and the Broncs added three more runs in the seventh on freshman second baseman T.J. Gilmer's run-scoring double and a two-run single by Alamia.

Lopez earned the victory and improved to 3-1. Gibson earned his third save of the season, while UTSA starter Aaron Rodriguez took the loss and fell to 1-2.

In the nightcap, the Roadrunners scored 11 runs in the fifth and sixth innings to take a 13-4 lead. Catcher Jeremy Blilie drove in two runs in the fifth with a single, and right fielder Philip Gentry knocked in two more with a double. Designated hitter Lucas Stewart tripled home two runs in the sixth, and second baseman Aaron Semper doubled to knock in two more.

Alamia drove in a UTPA run in the fourth with an infield out, and Kennedy homered to center field to drive in three in the fifth. McCoy singled home a run in the seventh, and Alamia doubled with the bases full to score three more. Freshman second baseman T.J. Gilmer tripled home a run for the Broncs in the ninth, and scored the final run on a wild pitch by reliever Jeff McCoy.

Junior Tommy Sorden (Austin, TX/Bowie HS/Navarro College), the first of five Texas-Pan American pitchers, took the loss and fell to 2-4. Reliever Evin Brewer earned the victory for UTSA and improved to 4-1.

"In the first game, we played good defense, we hit the ball, and we got good pitching," said UTPA Head Coach Willie Gawlik. "John Lopez pitched two innings last night, then came back and gave us five strong innings today, he did a great job, then Johnny Gibson came in and did a great job of closing it out. In the second game, Tommy Sorden turned his ankle and we had to take him out, Aaron threw two good innings, then we had trouble throwing strikes. We hit five guys, and we got behind all of their hitters, and they hammered everything we threw."

The Broncs' record stands at 20-25 after the split, while UTSA is 22-22. Texas-Pan American will return to action when they host Texas-San Antonio Wednesday, April 30th in a doubleheader at 5:00 p.m. in the final home games of the season.

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