RIO GRANDE VALLEY – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros baseball team fell to the Grand Canyon Lopes 17-0 in eight innings on Sunday at UTRGV Baseball Stadium.
 
UTRGV drew 6,859 fans for the 3-game series against Grand Canyon, bringing the season attendance total up to 24,898 through 16 dates, an average of 1,556 per game.
 
Senior Zach Tjelmeland (3-2) started and pitched well for the first 6.0 innings, allowing two runs on five hits and one walk while striking out four. The runs came on a 2-out, 2-run home run by Beau Ankeney in the fourth.
 
In the seventh, however, the Lopes (13-10, 7-2 WAC) sent 11 batters to the plate, scoring seven runs on a bunt RBI-single by Emilio Barreras, an RBI-double by Elijah Buries, a 2-run single by Eli Paton, and a 3-run home run by Tyler Wilson to go up 9-0
 
The Lopes added eight more runs in the eighth on a Paton 3-run home run, an RBI-single by Eddy Pelc, a Barreras 3-run double, and an RBI-single by Maxwell Andeel.
 
That made a winner of Isaac Lyon (2-0), who struck out six in 5.0 scoreless innings, allowing two hits.
 
Junior Erick Martinez recorded two of the Vaqueros' (12-10, 2-4 WAC) seven hits, going 2-for-3.
 
UTRGV is back in action on Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Texas State. Fans can watch domestically on ESPN+ or join other Vaqueros fans to watch together during a watch party at Barrel House in Edinburg.

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