The UTRGV team drew 2,262 fans to break the single-season program attendance record while coming back from a six-run deficit to beat the University of the Incarnate Word Cardinals 9-8 on Tuesday at UTRGV Baseball Stadium in Edinburg.
UTRGV has now drawn 40,491 fans across 26 home dates this season, surpassing the 39,700 that attended 26 home dates in 1975 and the 38,400 that attended 20 home dates in 1972. UTRGV has three home games remaining, May 12-14 against Grand Canyon.
The Vaqueros (23-16) trailed 8-2 entering the bottom of the seventh. Senior Zerek Saenz, sophomore Vela alum Isaac Lopez and graduate student Brandon Pimentel walked to start the inning, setting up a 2-run single by senior Roberto Gonzalez. One out later, sophomore Steven Lancia grounded out to drive-in Pimentel and make the score 8-5.
The Vaqueros started the eighth inning with three-straight walks as well, this time by junior PSJA alum Jacob Sanchez, junior Kade York and Saenz. One out later, a wild pitch brought home Saenz. Pimentel followed by crushing a go-ahead home run over the center field wall off Seth Higdon (1-5) to give the Vaqueros a 9-8 lead. The home run, Pimentel’s 11th of the season, exited the ballpark at 109.7 miles per hour, traveling a projected 450 feet.
The 11 home runs are tied for the ninth-highest single-season total in program history. Pimentel now has 23 home runs, the second-highest career total in program history and just four behind Hall of Famer Mitchell Moran (27, 1981-83).
Pimentel went 3-for-4 with a walk, a stolen base, three RBI and two runs scored to extend his hitting streak to 17 games, during which time he’s hitting .447 (34-for-76) with nine home runs, 31 RBI and 22 runs scored. Gonzalez finished 2-for-5 with two RBI.
Sophomore Bobby Loya (1-0) earned his first Division I win, striking out one in a perfect eighth.
Junior Vela alum Nico Rodriguez struck out one in a scoreless ninth for his third save.
The Cardinals (22-19) got on the board in the first on a two-out double by Rey Mendoza that made the score 1-0.
Mendoza added a sacrifice fly in the third to make the score 2-0.
Junior Sebastian Mejia took over after that, pitching 2.1 scoreless innings of relief, allowing just one hit while striking out four.
The Vaqueros got their first run in the third. Saenz drew a leadoff walk, stole second, and then took third when the throw went into center field. Lopez drove-in Saenz with a sacrifice fly to make the score 2-1.
The Vaqueros tied the game at 2 with two outs in the sixth. Lancia led off with an infield-single on the eighth pitch of his at-bat. After an error put runners on the corners, Sanchez hit a game-tying single.
With one out in the top of the seventh, though, the Cardinals loaded the bases, setting up an RBI-single by Hernan Yanez, a run-scoring walk by Mendoza, a run-scoring hit by pitch by Cameron Crotte, and a 2-run double by Tony DeJesus to make the score 8-2.
UTRGV plays its next games on the road, starting Friday at 6:30 p.m. with the first of three at UT Arlington. Fans unable to attend in person can watch domestically on ESPN+ or internationally via WAC International.