For Immediate Release: Saturday, May 17, 2003
Contact: Dave Geringer, UTPA Sports Information Director

BRONCS DROP PAIR AT NMSU, 14-4 AND 6-2

LAS CRUCES, NM-The University of Texas-Pan American's baseball team held New Mexico State to just five hits in the second game of their doubleheader at Presley Askew Field Saturday night.

However, the Aggies capitalized on 12 walks, including six with the bases loaded, to defeat the Broncs, 6-2. NMSU scored 13 runs in their final four at-bats to defeat the Broncs, 14-4, in the opening game of the doubleheader.

Texas-Pan American scored in the sixth and seventh innings of nightcap after spotting the Aggies a 6-0 lead. Sophomore first baseman Tony Ortiz (Fort Worth, TX/Nolan HS) singled with one out and moved to second on a hit by sophomore designated hitter Juan Saenz (Mission, TX/Mission HS). Junior Ben DiOrio (Canon City, CO/Canon City HS/Seward County CC), making his first start of the season behind the plate, singled to left field to score Ortiz.

The Broncs closed the gap in the seventh and final inning. Freshman second baseman T.J. Gilmer (Forney, TX/Forney HS) singled and advanced to second on a single by senior center fielder Jerome McCoy (Fort Worth, TX/Eastern Hills HS/Northeast Texas CC). Two outs later, Ortiz singled to drive in Gilmer. Saenz then walked to load the bases, but reliever Kent Bergsagel induced sophomore shortstop Marco Garza (Mission, TX/Sharyland HS) to ground into a fielder's choice to end the game.

Ortiz finished with three hits, including a double. The double was his 18th of the season, and allowed him to tie the UTPA all-time single-season record of 18, set by Tommy Supak in 1980. Alamia finished with a .382 batting average, which is the 15th best single-season mark in school history.

New Mexico State scored three runs in the first inning, loading the bases with two out against junior starter Ricky Anderson (Corinth, TX/Lake Dallas HS/North Central Texas College). Gavin Monjaras, Hal Bisnett and Buck Barton all drew bases-loaded walks before Saenz relieved and got Brandon Shaw to hit into a fielder's choice to end the inning.

The Aggies scored three more runs in the third; loading the bases with nobody out before Barton drew a walk to force in a run. Saenz fanned Shaw and Alex Borgo, but walked Dustin Mote and Brad Ditter with the bases full before getting Billy Becher to fly out to end the inning.

Rory Coppinger, who pitched five scoreless innings for NMSU, earned the victory and improved to 4-0. Anderson took the loss and fell to 1-3.

NMSU took the lead for good in the opener with a four-run fourth inning, then broke the game open with four runs in the sixth inning and five more in the seventh. The game was shortened to seven innings, due to the 10-run rule.

The Broncs took an early 3-0 advantage in the first game, scoring twice in the top of the first inning as freshman left fielder Louie Alamia (Edinburg, TX/Edinburg North HS) led off with a walk and stole second. Ortiz then walked, and both scored on Garza's double to left field.

The Broncs added a run in the third as Saenz doubled to left, then came home on Garza's second double in as many at-bats.

Brandon Saunders singled in a run for NMSU in the third, but Texas-Pan American scored again in the fourth. Alamia doubled with two outs, and scored on Gilmer's single.

New Mexico State took the lead in the bottom of the fourth. Gavin Monjaras hit a two-run homer, Hal Bisnett had an RBI triple and came home on an infield grounder by Chris Ewen.

The Aggies added four more runs in the sixth. Alex Borgo drove in a run with an infield grounder, while Saunders, Brad Ditter and Billy Becher each added RBI singles. Bisnett's run-scoring double and Borgo's three-run homer keyed a five-run NMSU explosion in the seventh.

Freshman righthander Aaron Guerra (Edinburg, TX/Edinburg HS), who yielded eight earned runs in 5 2/3 innings, started for the Broncs and took the loss, falling to 2-7. Christian Jackson allowed four runs in six innings for the Aggies and earned the victory, improving to 5-1.

"We didn't play well in the first game, and they banged us around pretty good," said UTPA Head Coach Willie Gawlik. "In the second game we couldn't get out of the first inning. We walked too many people. We did cut it to 6-2 with the bases loaded in the last inning and Marco was up with a chance to tie it, but he hit into a fielder's choice and it didn't work out."

The Broncs fell to 21-33 with the losses, while New Mexico State improved to 42-14 with the victory. The games were the final contests of the season for Texas-Pan American.

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