Feb. 5, 2006
The University of Texas-Pan American baseball team improved its record to 3-1 with a come from behind win on Sunday over the Texas State Bobcats, 6-5, on Sunday (Feb. 5) at Edinburg Baseball Stadium in the final game of the UTPA Baseball Classic.
The Bobcats jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead in the first inning on three hits. TSU made use of one walk and two singles in the first three at-bats to score their first three runs. Back-to-back sacrifice flies by Kyle Jones and Elliot Babcock brought in a pair of runs. The Bobcats added a pair in the top of the third.
The Broncs did not get a run on the board until the fourth inning when Jason Buhagiar (Penngrove, CA/Santa Rosa J.C.) scored on a single to the left side by catcher Dan Calabro (South Royalton, VT/Northern Oklahoma College).
UTPA kept fighting and pulled within a run in the bottom of the seventh thanks to a one-out double to left-center from Abraham Garcia (McAllen, TX/McAllen H.S.), scoring Osiel Flores (Mission, TX/UT-Brownsville). Garcia was brought home two plays later on a Blake Whittlesey (Marble Falls, TX/UT-Brownsville) infield single.
In the eighth inning, Josh Talley (Great Falls, MT/New Mexico J.C.) led things off with a single and was moved over to second on a sacrifice bunt. Three straight hits followed, with an RBI double from pinch-hitter Nick Spears (Austin, TX/Bowie H.S.) and an RBI single off the bat of Flores for the go-ahead run.
Bronc reliever Ray Silva (Clearlake, CA/Santa Rosa J.C.) came on after Morales struggled and shut out the Bobcats for five innings. Silva allowed just two hits and one walk while striking out six en route to earning the win.
Sophomore Tim Haines (Mission, TX/Blinn College) pitched the ninth inning, allowing one hit and striking out two for his first save of the year.
Gonzaga went 3-0 to take the UTPA Baseball Classic crown while UTPA and Oklahoma finished 2-1 for runners-up honors.
The Broncs next take the field in Austin, TX when they take on the defending National Champion Texas Longhorns at 2:30 p.m.
UTPA Sports Information
