EDINBURG, Texas — Seattle U baseball (13-21, 7-13 WAC) concluded its series with UT Rio Grand Valley (21-17, 12-8 WAC) on Sunday and was dealt a tough-luck decision in the process, falling 6-5 in walk-off fashion. The Redhawks were out hit 11-8, and left six runners behind and committed four errors.
Seattle U starter Riley Sinclair had a solid outing as the right-hander tossed six innings, allowing four runs, two earned, on seven hits while striking out seven batters. Ethan Brown, Lucas Ford, Alex McBee and Alex Jemal then each made relief appearances. Jemal (2-6) was charged with the decision allowing one run on hit 0.2 innings.
Julian Kodama and Kyle Sherick each had a two-hit day, with Kodama singling in the third and seventh while Sherick had a base knock in the fourth and doubled in the sixth. Four other Redhawks finished with a hit apiece.
UTRGV took an early 3-0 lead as it scored a run in each of the first three innings, including unearned tallies in the second and third. Seattle U threatened to score in the second but was eventually left empty-handed after base knocks from Shane Jamison and Drake Maningo.
After a sluggish 3-for-11 start at the plate during the first three innings, the Redhawks came to life in the fourth as Trevor Antonson tied the game with a two-out three-run blast to left. Also scoring on the play was Connor O'Brien and Sherick after they reached on back-to-back one-out singles. It was Antonson's first home run of the season and second of his career.
Sinclair found his groove in the middle frames, retiring six-straight batters, including back-to-back-to-back strikeouts through parts of the fourth and fifth innings. He however hit a bump in the fifth, giving up a solo home run which allowed the Vaqueros to move out to a 4-3 advantage.
The teams exchanged hits in the sixth, but held each other scoreless as they both left one runner stranded.
In the seventh, Seattle U scratched one across as Kai Alberghini rattled across on a wild pitch, after reaching on an error and advancing on a hit from Kodama and a balk.
Then in the bottom half, the Vaqueros threatened to put together a big inning as they loaded the based with a no outs as they faced Brown. UTRGV however was limited to just one run as Ford then took over and forced the next consecutive ground outs, including a 4-3 double play which allowed the Vaqueros to score from third.
Down 5-4, the Redhawks began to threaten as they loaded the bases to lead off the eighth. Jason Luke however was the only runner to cross home, tying the game at five, as Seattle U hit into a double play and flied out to end the inning.
The SU bats then went cold in the ninth as the Redhawks went down in order on strikes. With momentum beginning to swing to the other side, the Vaqueros picked up a lead-off double to start the home half of the frame. A bunt single towards third then advanced the runner 90 feet before a collision at first resulted in a dropped ball, resulting in the deciding run to cross home, completing the series sweep.
"Another very disappointing ending as we again lose on a walk-off error," said Seattle U head coach Donny Harrel. "I thought Sinclair threw well today which was bright spot as he kept us in the ballgame. Antonson's home run was also huge for us to have a chance to come out of here with at least one win, however we once again were unable to get the key hits we needed to make a difference and they did."
Up Next: The Redhawks return home next week to host league leader California Baptist in a four-game set at Bannerwood Park, April 30-May 2.