The UTRGV baseball team fell 9-5 to the Central Michigan (CMU) Chippewas on Saturday at UTRGV Baseball Stadium.
UTRGV (5-2) graduate student designated hitter and Edinburg Vela alum RJ Ochoa went 3-for-4 with a double. Redshirt sophomore second baseman and Edinburg Vela alum Isaac Lopez hit a solo homerun and a double to drive in one run. Sophomore catcher Steven Lancia threw out three baserunners and recorded two hits with one RBI. Junior shortstop Kade York extended his hitting streak to seven games.
Redshirt sophomore LHP Randy Garza got the start for UTRGV and tossed 4.2 innings, allowing three runs on two hits and three walks while striking out four. Junior RHP Sebastian Mejia took the loss.
CMU (4-3) was led offensively by Danny Wuestenfeld, who went 3-for-5 with a game-high three RBI. Michael Conte earned the win, tossing 2.2 innings and allowing one run on four hits with two strikeouts. Nate Ross picked up a save after 1.1 innings of scoreless, hitless work with two strikeouts.
Lancia showed off his strong arm to catch a Chippewa trying to steal second to end the top of the first.
UTRGV tallied four knocks to take a 2-0 in the first inning, keeping the offensive momentum from Friday’s doubleheader sweep rolling. Lopez doubled down the right field line then came around to score on a wild pitch. Graduate student first basean Brandon Pimentel, Ochoa and senior left fielder Roberto Gonzalez hit three consecutive singles. Gonzalez’s shot zoomed past CMU’s diving third baseman and drove in Pimentel.
Lancia’s quick pop-up behind the plate resulted in a strike ‘em out, throw ‘em out double play, then a second-straight swinging K from Garza ended a clean third inning. UTRGV turned another double play in the top of the fourth as Lopez hauled in a liner to second and made a quick throw to first to get an overeager Chippewas baserunner.
Lancia produced on the offensive side in the home half of the fourth, sending an RBI single up the middle for the 3-0 lead.
CMU loaded the bases with two away in the top of the fifth. A wild pitch followed by a throwing error scored two Chippewas, then Jacob Donahue tied the game at 3-3 with an RBI single to left. Lancia’s third caught stealing of the game ended the threat.
Lopez blasted a solo homerun to left for the second day in a row to regain the lead, 4-3, for the Vaqueros in the bottom of the fifth.
Central Michigan loaded the bases with one out following a single by Wuestenfeld in the top of the sixth. Mejia worked out of the jam and ended the threat with back-to-back looking strikeouts, earning a loud cheer from the crowd.
The Chippewas put a four-spot on the board, scoring all runs with two outs, in the top of the seventh. Justin Simpson delivered a two-RBI single to left to give CMU its first lead of the game. A throwing error at third scored another run, then Wuestenfeld sent an RBI single to center to make it 7-4 in favor of CMU before a groundout to shortstop ended the frame.
Redshirt sophomore RHP Bobby Loya took the mound in the eighth and promptly struck out the side. Ochoa sparked the Vaqueros offensively in the home half of the frame with a loud double to deep center field. Redshirt sophomore Erick Martinez roped a two-out, RBI double up the middle to cut the deficit to 7-5.
CMU came back in the ninth and extended the lead to 9-5 after a two-out, two-RBI single to center by Wuestenfeld.
The series between the Vaqueros and Chippewas wraps up Sunday at 11 a.m. at UTRGV Baseball Stadium.