The UTRGV baseball team lost to the Oakland Golden Grizzlies 11-6 on Saturday at UTRGV Baseball Stadium in Edinburg
Junior Sharyland High alumnus Martin Vazquez led the Vaqueros (7-6) by going 3-for-5 with a home run, a double, two RBI and two runs scored. Junior Erick Martinez finished a career-best 3-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored. Senior Kade York went 2-for-4 with a double and two runs scored. Graduate student CJ Valdez went 2-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Junior Edinburg Vela alumnus Isaac Lopez finished 2-for-4 with a walk.
The Vaqueros scored in each of the first two innings. In the first, York led off with a double, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt, and then scored on a Vazquez single. In the second, the Vaqueros had three-straight two-out singles by Martinez, York, and senior Adrian Torres, the last of which drove in Martinez. York then scored on a wild pitch to put the Vaqueros up 3-1.
The Golden Grizzlies (4-9) broke through in the second as Lucas Day led off with a double and Brandon Heidal drove him in with a single to tie the game at 1.
In the third, Ian Cleary homered and then Brandon Nigh doubled, moved to third on an error, and scored on a Day sacrifice fly to tie the game at 3.
That was it until the fifth, when the Golden Grizzlies took a 4-3 lead on a Cleary RBI-groundout.
Vazquez responded in the bottom of the inning with his fourth home run of the season, an opposite field shot off Shane McAlinden (1-1), to tie the game at 4.
The Golden Grizzlies regained a 5-4 lead in the sixth on an RBI-single by Erik Larsen.
In the seventh, Vazquez led off with a double and Lopez followed with a single, setting up a Valdez sacrifice fly to tie the game at 5.
In the eighth, the first three hitters reached against junior Aaron Sanchez (0-2), including Carter Hain, who hit a go-ahead RBI-single. Larsen followed with a bunt-single to bring in a run. Then, after a sacrifice bunt, Trent Rice hit a 2-run single. He later scored on a wild pitch to put the Golden Grizzlies up 10-5.
The Vaqueros got one back in the bottom of the inning when, with Martinez at third and two outs, Vazquez reached on an error to bring home Martinez and make the score 10-6.
The Golden Grizzlies added one more in the ninth on a 2-out double by Larsen.
UTRGV and Oakland complete the series at 12 p.m. Sunday at UTRGV Baseball Stadium. Fans can take advantage of the Family Fun Day: 4 for $44 promotion includes four general admission tickets, four drinks, and four hot dogs for $44.
Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at GoUTRGV.com/Tickets.
