UTB-TSC News: Scorpions sweep doubleheader from Doane College

Saturday was a good day for the University of Texas at Brownsville and Texas Southmost College baseball team.

Juan Munoz and Brad Regehr came through in the clutch with run-scoring hits in the first game and Adam Vera turned in an outstanding complete-game pitching performance in the second game to pace UTB-TSC to a 4-3, 7-2 doubleheader sweep over Doane College (Neb.) on Saturday at Scorpion Field.

"Overall, it was an outstanding weekend by our pitching staff," Scorpions coach Bryan Aughney said. "They threw great in all four games. You can’t ask for anything more than that. Even in the one we lost, Marcos (de Leon) gave up three unearned runs."

The first three games between the Scorpions and Tigers, both of whom received votes in the NAIA coaches top 25 poll, were one-run games. UTB-TSC won the opener 1-0 Thursday, and Doane won Friday’s game 3-2. Satur-day’s second game was a one-run game until the sixth inning, when the Scorpions broke the game open.

"We played very clean defensively all weekend," Aughney said. "We made a couple of errors here and there, but they didn’t cost us. Offensively, we got things going in the final game and scored some runs. Doane is a very good team and has very good pitching. It was well-played baseball. We’re excited to come out of there 3-1. We have some work to do and we understand that, and we’re ready to get after it and get on with the season."

GAME 1: SCORPIONS 4, TIGERS 3: Trailing 3-2 going into the bottom of the sixth inning, the Scorpions scratched two runs off starting pitcher Nick Dawson.

Joel Fernandez reached on an infield single, advanced to second on an infield out and scored on Munoz’s double to left field. Courtesy runner Robert J. Garza advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on Regehr’s bloop sin-gle to left-center.

Zach Armstrong pitched six strong innings for the Scorpions. He allowed three runs in the first inning, only one earned. He struck out three, walked one and allowed seven hits. Mitch Schaafsma threw 12 pitches to retire the side in the seventh inning and earn the save.

Joel Fernandez went 2 for 3 and scored twice, and Regehr was also for 2 for 3. Garza scored twice as a courtesy runner for Regehr.

GAME 2: SCORPIONS 7, TIGERS 2: In seven innings, Vera’s numbers were solid. He allowed four hits, struck out two and walked two.

But what really stood out was his pitch count. He needed only 79 pitches in the seven innings, throwing 55 strikes and 24 balls. He threw only six pitches in the second inning, five pitches in the third inning and six pitches in the sixth inning.

UTB-TSC broke open a tight 3-2 game with four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Colby Henscey and Ri-cardo Alanis had run-scoring hits, and Garza was hit by pitch with the bases loaded to score another run. Munoz added a sacrifice fly for the final run.

Doane scored once in the first before the Scorpions scored twice in the third and once in the fourth to take a 3-1 lead. The Tigers cut the margin to 3-2 in the fifth before the sixth-inning outburst.

Henscey led the Scorpions with a 3 for 3 day and walked in his other plate appearance. He also drove in two runs, as did Zach Cordia and Munoz. Kyle Douglass and Scott Frazier each scored twice.