EDINBURG – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros baseball team ended their four-game series with the Kansas State University Wildcats with a split by dropping the finale 9-2 on Monday at UTRGV Baseball Stadium. 

The Vaqueros (2-2) got on the board in the sixth, when freshman Preston King hit an infield-single with the bases loaded.

That was the only run against Kasey Ford (1-0), who struck out seven while allowing just two hits and two walks in 5.1 innings.

Junior Freddy Rojas Jr. drew both of those walks and added a single.

The Vaqueros added a run in the ninth on an RBI-ground out by sophomore Vela alum Aaron Galvan against Zak Herbers, who pitched the final 3.2 innings for the save.

The Wildcats (2-2) scored three runs against junior Landon Staats (0-1) in the first on a single by Zach Kokoska, a double by Cameron Thompson and a single by Dylan Phillips.

The Wildcats added two unearned runs in the third on a two-out triple by Terrence Spurlin.

Phillips came up with another RBI-single in the fifth.

Then, in the sixth, the Wildcats scored three more unearned runs, with the inning capped by one more Phillips single.

Phillips finished 3-for-4 with three RBI.

Junior Ricky Gerik Jr. pitched for the second day in a row, tossing a perfect inning with one strikeout. 

Junior Chase Bridges pitched two hitless innings, striking out two. 

Graduate student Max Balderrama Jr. struck out two in a perfect inning as well. 

UTRGV visits No. 28 Oklahoma State for a three-game series starting on Friday at 4 p.m. on ESPN+.