EDINBURG — The UTRGV baseball team blew out WAC leader Grand Canyon 9-1 on Saturday at UTRGV Baseball Stadium.
Senior and PSJA alum Jorge Flores (5-3) started for UTRGV (18-17, 4-4 WAC), racking up a career-high 10 strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings. Flores scattered four hits and four walks while allowing a run on the final pitch he threw, when Austin Bull hit an RBI double.
Offensively, the first five hitters in the UTRGV order combined for 11 hits, as junior Anthony Gomez went 3 for 5 with a triple, two RBIs and a run scored, senior Austin Siener went 3 for 5 with an RBI and two runs scored, sophomore Tyler Torres went 2 for 5 with a triple, two RBIs and a run scored, senior Ivan Estrella went 2 for 5 with a run scored, and sophomore Coleman Grubbs went 1 for 5 with a double, an RBI and two runs scored.
UTRGV jumped on GCU (18-16, 9-2 WAC) starter Jake Repavich (2-3) in the first inning, as Gomez tripled, Grubbs hit an RBI double, Estrella singled, Siener hit an RBI single, and Torres hit a two-run triple to put UTRGV up 5-0.
UTRGV added a run in the second inning, when Estrella got into a rundown between first and second base after hitting a two-out single to allow Grubbs to score from third.
In the fifth, junior Ryan Fish laid down a squeeze to bring in a run, freshman Mercedes alum Oliver Closner IV hit an RBI single, and Gomez hit an infield RBI single to extend the lead to 8-0.
Then, with the score 8-1 in the seventh, Gomez knocked in a run with a ground ball to push UTRGV’s lead to eight.
UTRGV and GCU complete this three-game series during Jackie Robinson Day at noon Sunday. The first 200 fans in attendance will receive Jackie Robinson Day posters. Fans can receive free general admission by helping UTRGV strike out hunger through the donation of five non-perishable food items. As a thank you, donors will receive free general admission. All donations benefit the Food Bank of the Rio Grande Valley. Gates open at 11 a.m.
