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For Immediate
Release: Tuesday, February 11, 2003 BRONCS FALL TO LAMAR, 9-2 EDINBURG, TX-For six innings, The University of Texas-Pan American's baseball team and Lamar battled each other back and forth on nearly equal terms. However, the Cardinals scored three times in the seventh inning and three more times in the ninth, and went on to a 9-2 victory in the deciding game of the three-game series at the Edinburg Baseball Stadium Tuesday afternoon. LU came to bat in the top of the seventh and a 3-1 advantage. With one out, catcher Matt Gowan walked and advanced to second on a single by second baseman Blake Justice. Junior Johnny Gibson (Sachse, TX/Naaman Forest HS/Collin County CC) relieved starting pitcher Aaron Guerra (Fr. Edinburg, TX/Edinburg HS) and threw a wild pitch, allowing the runners to move up. One run scored on an error by junior third baseman Matt Sisk (Fort Worth, TX/Arlington Heights HS/New Mexico), and two more crossed on left fielder Jordan Foster's double to left-center field. Trailing, 3-0, the Broncs had scored their first run of the game in the bottom of the fifth. Senior shortstop Josh Englert (Westminster, CO/Standley Lake HS/Central Arkansas) and freshman centerfielder T.J. Gilmer (Forney, TX/Forney HS) each drew a walk. Chris Coy relieved LU starter William Delage and senior right fielder Jerome McCoy (Fort Worth, TX/Eastern Hills HS/Northeast Texas CC) beat out a bunt. Englert came home on a throwing error by Cardinal third baseman Ryan Finan, but McCoy was caught rounding first base, and the Broncs ended the inning without scoring again. Shortstop Jeremy Gray's first-inning double gave Lamar a 1-0 lead, and accounted for the only earned run Guerra yielded. The Broncs scored their final run in the ninth on freshman catcher Jarod Hickle's (LaGrange, TX/LaGrange HS) pinch-hit double and a pair of throwing errors. Guerra allowed five hits in 6 1/3 innings. Gibson was charged with the rest of Lamar's runs, and freshman lefthander Jason Duhon (Maurice, LA/Abbeville HS/Grayson County College relieved in the ninth with the bases loaded and no one out and retired the side without allowing a run. "Our pitchers threw well enough to win, but we didn't play well defensively," said UTPA Head Coach Willie Gawlik. "You can't give a good team like Lamar extra outs, and that's just what we did. When the game was 3-1, we were still in it, but when we made those errors, we let the game get away from us. Aaron threw well, and Jason did a good job coming in when he did and getting out of trouble. We fought back and fought back, but we gave them too many chances." Guerra took the loss and fell to 1-1, while Coy, who allowed an unearned run and three hits in 4 1/3 innings, earned the victory in relief and improved to 1-0. The Broncs dropped to 4-2 with the defeat, while Lamar improved to 5-1. Texas-Pan American will return to action when they play California in the first round of the Round Rock Express Classic at the Dell Diamond Friday at 4:00 p.m. BA-20-03021103 |