For Immediate Release: Friday, May 2, 2003
Contact: Dave Geringer, UTPA Sports Information Director

BRONCS FALL AT SLU, 5-4

HAMMOND, LA-Justin Casas' RBI single scored Russell Taylor from third base with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning as Southeastern Louisiana defeated The University of Texas-Pan American's baseball team, 5-4, in the first game of their three-game series at Alumni Field Friday night.

Taylor led off the bottom of the ninth inning by being hit by a pitch from junior reliever Ben DiOrio (Canon City, CO/Canon City HS/Seward County CC). He took second on Carl Trosclair's sacrifice bunt, and stole third. DiOrio struck out Brady Sledge for the second out, but Casas singled through the right side to give the Lions the victory.

The Broncs tied the game up with single runs in the seventh and eighth innings. Sophomore catcher Matt Eichel (Grapevine, TX/Grapevine HS) reached on shortstop Jason Waguespack's error in the seventh, advanced to second when freshman second baseman T.J. Gilmer was hit by a pitch, and scored on a single by freshman right fielder Louie Alamia (Edinburg, TX/Edinburg North HS). Senior left fielder Bruce Kennedy (Mansfield, TX/Mansfield HS/Northeast Texas CC) homered to left to tie the score in the eighth.

UTPA scored their other two runs in the first inning. Sophomore first baseman Tony Ortiz (Fort Worth, TX/Nolan HS) walked with two out, stole second, and advanced to third on an error by second baseman Taylor. Junior third baseman Matt Sisk's (Fort Worth, TX/Arlington Heights HS/New Mexico) infield single scored Ortiz, and Sisk scored on Kennedy's RBI double to left field.

Southeastern Louisiana tied it in the third. Robert Larsen singled to left and scored on a triple by Graham Martin. Taylor's single scored Martin to tie the game.

The Lions took the lead in the fourth. Blaine Wyninger doubled, and walks to Joey Duhe and Waguespack loaded the bases. Two wild pitches by junior lefthander Tommy Sorden's ((Austin, TX/Bowie HS/Navarro College) allowed Wyninger and Duhe to score. The Broncs then tied it, setting the stage for SLU's game-winning rally.

"We had three guys picked off, and we couldn't get a big hit when we needed one," said UTPA Head Coach Willie Gawlik. Except for the two innings they scored in, Tommy threw real well. Our pitching was good enough to win tonight, but we couldn't come through when we needed to."

DiOrio, who relieved Sorden in the eighth, took the loss and fell to 2-3. Reliever Chad Pendarvis, who pitched the ninth inning for SLU in relief of starter Risley St. Germain, earned the win and improved to 4-1.

The Broncs fell to 20-28 with the defeat, while the Lions improved to 15-29. The teams will continue their series Saturday afternoon at 3:00 p.m.

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