UTB/TSC hung tough with New Mexico State University, the 24th-ranked team in NCAA Division I, who held off the pesky Scorpions, 12-6, Wednesday at Scorpion Field.
The Scorpions are now 17-20 for the season while NMSU is 22-3. The Aggies stay in the Rio Grande Valley for a three-game series against the University of Texas-Pan American Thursday through Saturday in Edinburg.
"Dennis (Ortiz) did great, he was in the zone, he located his breaking ball and he did a great job," Aughney said. "That's kind of what he's done for us all year. It's what we want from these young guys. For being six foot two inches and 150 pounds, he threw his little rear end off."
UTB/TSC resumes Red River Athletic Conference play with a three-game home series against Huston-Tillotson University this weekend. The two teams meet in a doubleheader at 4 p.m. Friday and a single game at 1 p.m. Saturday.
"We're excited to get back to conference, it's what we talked about all fall," Aughney said. "Hopefully we go out with the same focus and the same purpose, then good things will happen."
UTB/TSC jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning over the Aggies. After Matt Warner was hit by a pitch and Gus Henggeler singled, Ryan Macdonald launched a three-run homer over the center-field fence.
But the Aggies would re-take the lead, thanks in big part to some wild Scorpion pitching. Starter Jacob Venegas walked eight batters and hit two others in the first two innings. He allowed only one hit, but the Aggies did enough damage, scoring three runs in the second and five in the third. NMSU had an 8-1 lead after three innings with only one hit.
Aggies' head coach Rocky Ward did not attend the two Brownsville games, staying at the hotel with an illness. Pitching coach Chase Tidwell was impressed by the Scorpions.
"They (Scorpions) battled our rear ends off tonight," Tidwell said. "The first game (21-1 NMSU win) was a bit overwhelming for your team, but they battled tonight. UTB has a good ball club. It would not surprise me at all to see you do well in the playoffs."
Ortiz relieved, allowing only three runs and four hits in almost five innings of work. Evan Hardman gave up two runs in two and one-thirds innings.
The Scorpions had five hits. Jacob Yousif had a solo homer for the Scorpions and scored twice. Macdonald had three of the six RBI.
Aggie pitchers Justin Cooper and Noah Garza struck out 13 and walked only one. Scorpion pitching struck out six and walked 12.
The Aggies had 12 hits, three by Jeffrey Farnham who drove in four, and two each by Richard Stout and Leo Aguirre, who drove in three each.
New Mexico State came into the two-game series leading the NCAA in homers with 61 in 24 games, but did not hit a home run against the Scorpions Wednesday after hitting three Tuesday.
Scorpion head coach Bryan Aughney was much more satisfied with his team's efforts Wednesday compared to the 21-1 loss Tuesday.
"We didn't compete yesterday," Aughney said. "But I am proud of the guys for coming back and it's amazing what happens when you allow yourself to compete. Yeah, we got beat but we didn't have any errors, we didn't pitch the best early. If we were in the zone early on who knows, they did get five runs on one hit. It's baseball, and anybody can beat anybody else on any given day if you allow yourself to compete."
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forKGBT