The UTRGV baseball team clinched its fourth straight Western Athletic Conference Tournament berth by beating the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks 15-1 in seven innings Friday at Jaycees Field in Nacogdoches.
The Vaqueros (28-24, 14-14 WAC) will head to Hohokam Stadium, the spring training home of the Oakland A’s, for the tournament starting Tuesday. The bracket is expected to be available at the conclusion of play today.
Brandon Pimentel extended his program-record career home run total to 29 with a three-run shot during the fourth inning against Garrett Gearner (7-2) to make the score 7-1.
Pimentel has 17 home runs this season, the third-highest single-season total in program history behind only Hall of Famer Mitchell Moran (20, 1983) and Jesse Gutierrez (21, 2000).
Junior Adrian Torres also homered, blasting a grand slam to cap a seven-run seventh inning.
Pimentel finished 3-for-3 with two walks, four RBIs and three runs scored. Torres went 2-for-3 with a walk, a career-high five RBIs and two runs scored. Senior Roberto Gonzalez finished 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Sophomore Steven Lancia went 3-for-5 with two runs scored. Sophomore and Edinburg Vela alumnus Isaac Lopez finished 2-for-3 with a walk and a career-high three runs scored. Montclair Cain went 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs. Senior Zerek Saenz finished 2-for-5 with a walk and two runs scored.
McAllen High alumus Abanny Garcia (1-0) made the runs stand up. In his first Division I start, he pitched a complete game, going a career-high seven innings, striking out a career-high five and allowing just three hits and two walks en route to his first DI win.
The Lumberjacks (22-27, 12-17 WAC) scored their lone run in the first on an RBI double by Cal Martin, making the score 1-0.
The Vaqueros responded in the second. Lancia led off with an infield single and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt. That set up a game-tying single by senior and Edinburg Vela alumnus RJ Ochoa.
Lopez, Pimentel and Gonzalez opened the third inning with singles, setting up Cain’s two-run double. One out later, Torres brought home a run on a groundout to make the score 4-1.
In the fifth, the Vaqueros put two on with one out ahead of an RBI single by junior Kade York to go up 8-1.
The Vaqueros opened the seventh by loading the bases on walks before Pimentel and Gonzalez hit RBI singles. Cain followed with a sacrifice fly. Lancia then singled to reload the bases and set up Torres’ grand slam.
UTRGV and Stephen F. Austin close out the regular season at noon today. Fans can watch for free via WAC International.