The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros baseball squad saw their season come to a close on Thursday night, falling 3-2 to the Lamar Cardinals in the Southland Conference Tournament.
Lamar struck first, with Hector Rodriguez’s leadoff single in the second inning sparking a chain that saw him steal second, advance on a groundout, and score on Brayden Evans’ sacrifice fly, giving the Cardinals a 1-0 edge.
UTRGV answered in the third, as graduate student Rudy Gonzalez doubled off Chris Olivier, and Thomas Williams followed with an RBI single to knot the game at 1-1, showcasing the offensive spark that would define their rally.
Sixth Inning Turnaround
The momentum shifted in the sixth when the Cardinals loaded the bases with nobody out, prompting Harrison Thayer’s exit and the entrance of junior reliever JC Gutierrez, who induced a groundball to short that plated two runs, pushing Lamar ahead 2-1.
Beau Durbin’s RBI single in the seventh extended the lead to 3-1, but the Vaqueros were not done; junior Andrew Taylor’s RBI groundout in the eighth trimmed the margin to 3-2, keeping hope alive.
Right-hander Julius Carpio closed the book on the game with two innings of shutout relief, earning his third save as the Cardinals held on for the victory.
Despite the loss, the Vaqueros finished the season with a series of strong performances, highlighted by senior Thomas Williams’ 2‑for‑2 effort that included a season‑high tying three walks and an RBI, and graduate student Diego Villescas’ 2‑for‑4 showing.