Like clockwork, Orange: UTRGV sweeps Incarnate Word in last home series
EDINBURG — The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (24-25, 17-13) swept the Incarnate Word Cardinals (18-27, 8-19) here in a three-game series to finish their home slate for the season.
It was three games in a matter of three days this weekend, but the Vaqueros were able to get the job done in front of the home crowd which averages thousands of fans per game.
On Friday and Saturday, Game 1 was won in extra innings by the score of 4-3 while Game 2 was grabbed with a 7-5 dub. On Sunday, the Vaqueros donned their orange jerseys and blanked the Cards 5-0 with a push from the fourth inning.
At the bottom of the fourth, Damien Whitfield got UTRGV on the board by smacking it to left field for the RBI single.
Afterward, Chayton Fischer earned himself a ground-rule double down the right field to rake in 2 RBI to make it 3-0 with UTRGV leading.
The Vaqueros weren't done there, though.
Thomas Williams then hit a sac pop fly to gain another score (4-0) for the orange squad. A few sequences later, Armani Raygoza made history for the program by singling to center field and earning an RBI for the final score to make it 5-0.
The RBI, which is the 137th of his career, took the top spot in UTPA/UTRGV history as the original holder was Vincent "Vinnie" Mejia. Mejia, an El Paso native, played during the 2012 campaign for legacy instiution UTPA.
Asked how he felt about the milestone achievement, Raygoza said he was thankful to be a part of program history.
"(I feel) super blessed," he said, not knowing he broke the record until the announcer said something. "I know there was a lot of guys that have been here before me. ... It's nice to be in talks with them."
UTRGV was keen on the defensive side of things as Mason Engel pitches three innings to hold the 'Cards scoreless. Afterward, JC Gutierrez took over to seal the deal. Engel had two strikouts on the night, while Gutierrez earned four.
The Friday win against Incarnate Word was the crucial one as the dub clinched a spot for the Vaqueros in the Southland Conference tournament.
The team will now head out on the road Tuesday to play Abilene Christian University. After that, they play a three-game series against Tarleton State over in Stephenville.
Being the last home stretch of the season, Head Coach Derek Matlock said he was quite happy the team was able to deliver at home — more notably get the sweep.
More so, he said that playing in front of the home crowd — which comprises the Valley as a whole — is "everything."
"Everybody circles their calendar when they're playing us to get the opportunity to come play in a real baseball atmosphere," Matlock said. "And you don't get that in other schools in our conference.
"It's special. And the 956 is special."