The UTRGV baseball team bounced back from a Game 1 loss against New Mexico State on Friday to win Game 2 13-8 onSaturday at Presley Askew Field in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Right fielder Brett Cain and junior catcher Raul Ortega had big days at the plate to lead the Vaqueros (19-15). Cain was 5-for-5with a team-high four RBIs, scattering singles all over the field and stealing one base. Ortega went 4-for-5 with a solo homerunand three RBIs. Centerfielder Jacob Hirsh also drove in three runs while hitting his first home run of the season.
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Angelo Cabral earned the win, tossing 2.1 innings with one run on two hits and two walks whilestriking out three. Right-handed pitcher Max Balderrama Jr. closed the game with one strong inning, recording two bigstrikeouts and allowing one run on three hits.
The Vaqueros opened up a 4-0 lead during the top of the first, scoring all their runs with two outs. Cain drove in the first runwith an extra-base RBI single up the middle, then Hirsh blasted a three-run homerun to right-center.
UTRGV expanded the lead to 6-0 during the second behind back-to-back RBI groundouts by junior left fielder Brandon Pimentel,who finished with three hits, and sophomore first baseman Jacob Sanchez.
Cain sparked another two-out rally for the Vaqueros during the top of the fourth with a two-RBI single to left-center. Ortega andredshirt freshman shortstop Isaac Lopez knocked back-to-back RBI singles to grow the lead to 10-3.
During the fifth, Cain stepped into the batter’s box with runners on the corners and two outs. The Aggies sent Mason Capertonto the bump to face the red-hot lefty, but the move didn’t stop him as Cain hit an RBI single.
Each team added one run in the sixth. Ortega knocked a solo homerun for the Vaqueros, and Godfrey recorded an RBI double forthe Aggies. Ortega came through with an RBI single during the eighth, growing the lead to 13-7.
UTRGV and New Mexico State are slated to close their three-game WAC series at noon today.
