SAN ANTONIO, Texas – The Huskies split the doubleheader against UTRGV at Sullivan Field on the campus of UIW. HCU dropped the first game, 16-5, before bouncing back with a walk-off win, 11-10, in the bottom of the 13^th inning.

In game one, HCU (6-22, 3-3 SLC) was led by senior shortstop Austin Roccaforte who went 2-for-4 with a home run, a double, and three RBIs while freshman catcher Dylan LaRue also went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run. Junior third baseman Reed Chumley went 1-for-4 with a home run, two runs, a walk, and an RBI before going 4-for-7 with a double and two runs in game two. Senior first baseman Tyler LaRue sat game one but put on a show in the second game going 3-for-6 with a grand slam, five RBIs, and a walk. Freshman designated hitter Samuel Benjamin struggled in game one going 1-for-5 with a single, but quickly got back to form in the second game going 3-for-6 with a home run, a double, three runs, two RBIs, a walk, and a walk-off single to seal game two.

For the Huskies, freshman righthander Baylor Baumann (0-2), took the loss in game one, pitched the first 2.2 innings giving up four runs, three earned, on four hits with a walk and a strikeout. Junior righthander Jarek Wells pitched .2 shutout innings of relief allowing one hit. Freshman righthander Jonathan Valdez pitched 1.1 shutout innings of relief allowing one hit. Senior righthander Trey Valka pitched .2 shutout innings of relief with a walk and two strikeouts. The Huskies used 10 pitchers in game one of the series.

In game two, senior lefthander Chad Ricker (4-2), earned the win, pitched three innings of relief, to end the game in extra innings, recording an earned run on two hits with a walk and three strikeouts. Senior righthander Matthew Charles pitched four shutout innings of relief allowing one hit and one walk with three strikeouts. Senior righthander Morris Austin, made his second appearance of the 2023 season after injury, pitching another shutout inning of relief with a walk and a strikeout.

UTRGV (17-13, 6-6 WAC) was led by Brandon Pimentel who went 6-for-12, on the day, with two home runs, a double, seven RBIs, and scored four runs. Roberto Gonzalez also went 6-for-12 with two doubles, two runs, an RBI, and a walk. Zerek Saenz went 6-for-11 with a home run, a double, four RBIs, and four runs.

For the Vaqueros, Angelo Cabral (6-0), earned the win in game one, pitching three shutout innings to start the game giving up one hit with two walks and two strikeouts. UTRGV used five pitchers in game one.
In game two, Nico Rodriguez (0-2) took the loss, pitching two innings of relief, giving up an earned run on five hits, one walk, and a strikeout. Colten Davis, started game two, pitching three innings allowing three runs on five hits with a walk and three strikeouts.

HCU got on the board in game one in the bottom of the fourth inning when Austin Roccaforte hit a three-run home run to left field scoring Dylan LaRue and Reed Chumley. The Huskies added another in the bottom of the fifth inning when Dylan LaRue singled through the right-side scoring William Jewell. HCU added their last run of game one in the bottom of the seventh inning when Chumley homered to center field.

UTRGV scored an early run in the top of the second inning of game one when Steve Lancia scored on a throwing error by HCU's Dylan LaRue. The Vaqueros added four runs in the top of the third inning starting with Brandon Pimentel scoring on a single up the middle off the bat of Roberto Gonzalez before Jacob Sanchez doubled down the right-field line scoring Lancia, Montclair Cain, and Gonzalez. UTRGV put up three more runs in the top of the fourth inning when Isaac Lopez doubled down the left-field line scoring Zerek Saenz. Pimentel singled to left center to bring in Lopez before Pimentel scored on a wild pitch. The Vaqueros added another run in the top of the fifth inning when Saenz hit a sac fly to left field scoring Sanchez, and added another run in the top of the sixth when Sanchez singled through the left side scoring Gonzalez. UTRGV tacked on two more runs in the top of the seventh inning starting with Kade York scoring on a wild pitch before Pimentel singled up the middle scoring Saenz. The Vaqueros last four runs of game one came in the top of the ninth inning with back-to-back home runs from Pimentel and Lancia scoring Lopez and Martinez in the process.

In game two, the Huskies tied the game in the bottom of the first inning when Tyler LaRue singled through the left side scoring Samuel Benjamin. HCU took the lead in the bottom of the second inning when Austin Roccaforte singled up the middle scoring Dylan LaRue and Reed Chumley. After giving up six runs in the top of the fourth inning, the Huskies cut into the 8-3 lead when Tyler LaRue hit a grand slam scoring Benjamin, Connor Fremin, and Cash Benavidez to make it a one run game, 8-7. HCU added another run in the bottom of the sixth inning when Benjamin homered to left center to get back to within one run again, 9-8. The Huskies tied the game and forced extra innings with a Chumley run in the bottom of the ninth inning off a sac fly to right field by Benavidez. HCU tied the game in the bottom of the 11^th inning when Dylan LaRue homered to right field. The Huskies hit a walk off single through the right-side in the bottom of the 13^th inning off the bat of Benjamin to score Fremin.

UTRGV got on the board early in game two when Montclair Cain singled through the right side to score Isaac Lopez in the top of the first inning. The Vaqueros retook the lead, 2-1, in the top of the second inning when Zerek Saenz doubled to center field scoring Kade York. UTRGV scored six runs in the top of the fourth inning starting with an Adrian Torres home run to right field before Saenz singled up the middle scoring RJ Ochoa. Branden Pimentel hit a three-run home run to left center scoring Saenz and Lopez before Cain hit a solo home run to left field. The Vaqueros took a two-run lead, 9-7, when Saenz hit a solo home run to left center in the top of the sixth inning. UTRGV's last run of game two came in the top of the 11^th inning when Ochoa doubled to left center scoring Torres.

The Huskies will return to action for a mid-week, non-conference, double header against PVAMU on Tuesday, April 11^th starting at 1 p.m. in Prairie View, Tx at Tankersley Field.