March 6, 2010
Final Stats
Texas A&M International University and St. Edward's split a Heartland Conference doubleheader on Saturday at TAMIU's Jorge Haynes Field. SEU took the opener 8-0 and TAMIU earned a hard-fought 4-3 win in the series finale.
SEU recorded 14 hits in the opener with everyone in the lineup getting at least one hit. All of that offense was not necessary, however, since Hilltopper ace Jeff Rohrbach turned in an outstanding complete-game effort.
Rohrbach (2-0) earned the win after limiting the Dustdevils to two hits, both singles. He retired 16 straight batters between a second inning single by Max St. Hilaire and a seventh inning single by Chris Collazo.
John Gonzáles (1-3) took the loss for the Dustdevils. He allowed six runs (five earned) on 11 hits in 5.1 innings.
Collazo pushed TAMIU (7-14, 7-14 Heartland) to a 1-0 lead in the second game with a two-out home run shot over the right field fence in the bottom of the first inning.
The Dustdevils left the bases loaded in each of the next two innings without scoring and SEU (11-11, 11-9) scored two runs in the top of the third to take a 2-1 lead.
Rey Alvarez came through in the clutch in fourth inning, contributing a two-RBI single up the middle that provided the Dustdevils a 3-2 lead. The lead was pushed to 4-2 later in that inning when Alvarez scored on ground ball by David Pittman that should have been the third out but was instead a throwing error to first base by Hilltopper shortstop Tim Redden.
Given the lead, TAMIU starter B.J. Valadez cruised through the fifth inning before being relieved by Chris Villa with one out and runners on first and second in the top of the sixth inning. Villa ended the threat by getting SEU third baseman Eric Morgan to ground into an inning-ending double play.
St. Edward's loaded the bases with one out in the seventh inning. Dexter Moreno then cut TAMIU's lead to 4-3 with a RBI sac fly to right field. The Hilltoppers had the tying run at third base at that point but Villa clamped down and secured the win for the Dustdevils by getting Daniel Rufini to ground into a fielder's choice out at second base.
Valadez (2-1) earned his second straight win for the Dustdevils. He allowed two runs on four hits in 5.1 innings. Villa picked up his first save of the season after allowing one run on two hits in 1.2 innings.
TAMIU will play a non-conference game at Texas A&M-Kingsville on Tuesday before playing its first Heartland Conference road series of the season next weekend at St. Mary's.
