Junior EJ Miramontes struck out a career-high eight in a career-high 7.0 innings to lead The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros baseball team past the Sacramento State Hornets 9-2 on Friday at UTRGV Baseball Stadium in front of a crowd of 4,451.
UTRGV improves upon its single-season program attendance, now at 57,818
UTRGV is averaging 2,141 fans across 27 home dates. Regardless of Saturday’s attendance, UTRGV will break the existing program record of 1,920 fans per date set across 20 dates in 1972.
Friday’s attendance is the fourth largest for UTRGV since moving into UTRGV Baseball Stadium in 2002. Six of the top nine attendance marks for UTRGV at UTRGV Baseball Stadium have been achieved this season along with the 6,044 against UT Arlington on April 6 (second), the 5,374 against Utah Valley on April 13 (third), the 4,313 against Grand Canyon on March 23 (fifth), the 3,962 against Stephen F. Austin on April 28 (eighth), and the 3,915 against Stephen F. Austin on April 27 (ninth).
Making his first start since Feb. 28 and his second of the season, Miramontes (1-0) didn’t allow a hard hit while scattering six singles and two walks. Two batters after allowing a run on a Tyler White sacrifice fly in the third, Miramontes retired 9-straight hitters. He also retired the final four hitters he faced.
While earning his first-career win, Miramontes threw 66 of his 96 pitches for strikes (68.8%).
Senior Kade York, who was honored with the Jody Ramsey Memorial Award before the game, led the Vaqueros (26-24, 14-15 WAC) offensively by reaching base four times on a triple, a single, a walk, and a hit by pitch while driving in two runs and scoring twice. Junior Hank Warren went 2-for-3 with a walk, an RBI and a run scored. Freshman Evan Janner went 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
The Vaqueros sent 11 batters to the plate in the first to scored five runs. Jasper Nelson (1-2) plunked York, walked freshman Easton Moomau and plunked junior Sharyland alum Martin Vazquez to loaded the bases. Graduate student CJ Valdezfollowed with an RBI-single. One out later, Warren and graduate student Adrian Torres hit consecutive run-scoring infield-singles. Freshman Vela alum Rudy Gonzalez walked to force-in a run and then Janner hit into a fielder’s choice to bring home a run.
In the third, Gonzalez and Janner led off with singles before York hit a 2-run triple. One out later, Vazquez lifted a sacrifice fly to put the Vaqueros up 8-1.
The Vaqueros added a run in the fifth on an RBI-double by junior Vela alum Isaac Lopez to make the score 9-1.
The Hornets (26-29, 14-15 WAC) got one back in the eighth on an RBI-single by Matt Masciangelo.
UTRGV and Sacramento State close out the regular season on Saturday at 6:30 p.m. at UTRGV Baseball Stadium. Tickets are on sale for $1 at GoUTRGV.com/DollarGame. Fans are encouraged to arrive by 6 p.m. for the senior day ceremony.
Current UTRGV students receive free general admission with their student ID. All fans need to follow the clear bag policy, details of which can be found at GoUTRGV.com/ClearBag. Gates open at 5:30 p.m.
Fans can watch domestically on ESPN+ or internationally via WAC International.
