For Immediate Release: May 10, 2002
Contact: Dave Geringer, UTPA Director of Athletic Media Relations, (956) 381-2240

BRONCS BOW TO TEXAS TECH

LUBBOCK, TX –The 22nd-ranked Texas Tech Raiders were a little too potent for The University of Texas-Pan American in their baseball game at Dan Law Field Friday night.

Texas Tech scored five times in the bottom of the first inning and defeated the Broncs, 11-3, in the first game of their three-game series.

UTPA scored first when junior left fielder Bruce Kennedy (Mansfield, TX/Mansfield HS/Northeast Texas JC) doubled to right-center with one out in the first inning, and scored on a subsequent single to right by sophomore third baseman Matt Sisk (Fort Worth, TX/Arlington Heights HS/New Mexico).

However, the Red Raiders tied the game in their half of the first when designated hitter Nick Blankenship singled with the bases loaded. Left fielder Travis McElroy followed with a sacrifice fly, second baseman Bryon Smith walked with the bases loaded to make it 3-0, and third baseman Jake Brown singled home two more runs to make it 5-1 after one inning of play.

The Broncs did not score again until the eighth. Freshman shortstop Marco Garza (Mission, TX/Sharyland HS) led off and reached on a two-base error by first baseman Austin Cranford. He crossed to third on an infield out, and scored on a sacrifice fly by junior catcher Sean Flynn (Bradenton, FL/Bradenton Christian Academy). Kennedy led off the ninth with a solo homer off relief pitcher Chris Phillips to account for Texas-Pan American’s final run.

Texas Tech scored single runs in four of five at-bats in the middle of the game. McElroy doubled and scored on Garza’s error in the third, and center fielder Jon Slack singled, stole second and scored on a hit by right fielder Madison Edwards in the fourth. Edwards singled in another run in the sixth, pinch-hitter Cody Fuller tripled and scored on an infield out in the seventh, and shortstop Gera Alvarez capped the TTU scoring with a two-run homer in the eighth.

Red Raider starter Steve Gooch, who retired 18 consecutive Broncs between the first and seventh innings, earned the victory, and improved to 7-2. UTPA junior righthander Travis Parker (Brownsville, TX/Hanna HS/UT-Brownsville), who pitched the first six innings, took the loss and fell to 3-9.

Texas Tech improved to 35-16 with the victory, while UTPA dropped to 15-346 with the defeat. The Broncs and Red Raiders will play the second game of the series Saturday night at 7:00 p.m.

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