Swing and a miss for UTRGV

UTRGV pitcher Jesus Aldaz throws the ball to outfielder/first baseman Brandon Pimentel, getting out ACU catcher Mark Henderson on first base during Friday night’s game at the UTRGV Baseball Stadium on the Edinburg campus. ISABEL MORALES/THE RIDER PHOTOS
UTRGV outfielder Zerek Saenz hits the ball to center field to score the first run for Vaqueros during the first inning against the Abilene Christian University Wildcats during Friday night’s game at the UTRGV Baseball Stadium on the Edinburg campus.
UTRGV outfielder/first baseman Brandon Pimentel touches first base and gets Wildcats infielder Garrett Williams out as the umpire calls the play during Friday night’s game at the UTRGV Baseball Stadium on the Edinburg campus.
UTRGV pitcher Alex Verdugo strikes out Wildcats infielder Jack Nielsen at the top of the sixth inning during Friday night’s game at the UTRGV Baseball Stadium on the Edinburg campus.
UTRGV catcher Steven Lancia catches the ball as the umpire calls a strikeout against ACU outfielder Grayson Tatrow during Friday night’s game at the UTRGV Baseball Stadium on the Edinburg campus.
UTRGV outfielder/ first baseman Brandon Pimentel holds first base to try and get out Abilene Christian University outfielder Miller Ladusau during Friday night’s game at the UTRGV Baseball Stadium on the Edinburg campus. The Vaqueros were tied with ACU until the ninth inning, when the Wildcats brought in two runs and won 4-2.

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Baseball Team fell 4-2 to Abilene Christian University Friday night during the series opener at the UTRGV Baseball Stadium, making its record 7-9 in conference and 20-16 overall.

Heavy rains delayed the home game by an hour.

During the first inning, senior outfielder Zerek Saenz scored the first run from graduate outfielder/first baseman Brandon Pimentel’s RBI double, making the score 1-0.

Wildcat freshman catcher Maddox Miesse and junior outfielder Eric Martin scored Abilene’s first two runs in the second inning from a single hit to right field by junior infielder Garrett Williams.

In the third inning, Saenz brought in another run to tie the score against the Wildcats.

ACU junior outfielder Logan Britt hit a triple into right center, allowing Williams and freshman outfielder Holden Rook to score runs in the ninth inning and bringing the final score to 4-2.

Saenz led the Vaqueros with two runs and two hits. He now has a career .273 batting average, three home runs and .390 on-base percentage.

Head coach Derek Matlock said the team “showed guts and fought hard” during Friday’s game.

Sophomore catcher Steven Lancia put out 11 and had a batting average of .308 during this game. He now has a career .292 batting average, five home runs and .325 on-base percentage.

Matlock said there’s no doubt UTRGV’s players are good.

“If they beat us, that’s fine,” he said. “But if we beat ourselves, that’s not fine. And that’s what ended up happening. … We beat ourselves by not throwing strikes and not picking the ball up.”

Pimentel put out nine players and achieved one hit. His stats are now a .373 batting average, 22 home runs and .447 on-base percentage.

Matlock said the team will bounce back in the doubleheader at 3 and 6:30 p.m. today against the Wildcats and that Friday’s loss will not affect the team.

“We’ve done a good job of losing and coming back and winning,” he said. “It doesn’t really bother us. We’ll get a good night’s sleep and come back and grind out two games tomorrow.”

Redshirt sophomore infielder Isaac Lopez achieved one hit and put out one, bringing his career stats to a .311 batting average, 11 home runs and .409 on-base percentage.

Wildcat outfielder Martin achieved one run and put out two. His record is now a .240 batting average, 12 home runs and an on-base percentage of .361.

The Vaqueros are set to play another home game against the University of the Incarnate Word 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.

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