Recap: @NCBearsBaseball Completes Sweep of UTRGV

Sunday, May 6

Greeley, Colo.

11 a.m.

University of Northern Colorado

26-21, 0

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley

21-27, 0

UT Rio Grande Valley

Northern Colorado

5/6/2018 2:07:00 PM | Baseball

Box Score

Behind Jake Garcia, UNC baseball competes the sweep of UTRGV Sunday 3-2

By: By Ryan Pfeifer, UNCBears.com

GREELEY, Colo. – Northern Colorado completed the sweep of UT Rio Grande Valley on Sunday afternoon in a 3-2 ballgame. The Bears came back once again in the win and had help from fifth-year senior Jake Garcia both offensively and defensively.

How It Happened
Just like the previous two games, UTRGV struck first with a two-run third inning. The Vaqueros led off with a single and benefited from a Dean Lawson error to put its first two runners on. A well-executed sacrifice bunt put the pair in scoring position and Coleman Grubbs delivered with the bloop single to left scoring a pair.

The Bears did not threaten offensively until the fifth inning when they put a pair on with one out. Brett Minnick was hit by a pitch and Jake Garcia walked. That would be it though as a fielder's choice and fly out ended the threat.

UNC's success against starter Trevelle Hill translated into production for the team in the sixth. Lawson and Matt Burkart singled and doubled to left to put a pair in scoring position for the heart of UNC's lineup. Jack Pauley drove in Lawson with a productive groundout to first making it a 2-1 ballgame and placing Burkart at third. He came home to score on a wild pitch with Evan Johnson at bat with two outs to even the score at two.

Northern Colorado took the lead in the seventh as Garcia hit a double down the right field line to start the rally. Austin Miller's infield single put runners on the corners with one out before the speed of Lawson and Miller caused a fielder's choice to score Lawson and give the team the 3-2 lead.

Connor Leedholm came in for the six-out save and delivered for UNC to complete the sweep of UTRGV. Leedholm was helped out by his teammate and catcher Garcia with a great strike him out, throw him out in the eighth inning.

Game Changer
Jake Garcia was not in the original starting line up, but a late scratch of Alex Kiel put the fifth-year senior behind the dish Sunday. He impacted the game both behind the plate and at the plate. The Albuquerque, New Mexico native was 1-for-2 at the plate with a run scored and walk. Both his double in the seventh and walk in the fifth were key for UNC, giving the team confidence and then the lead. He also caught a pair of baserunners stealing, both on strike him out, throw him out situations.

Stat to Know
Connor Leedholm pitched in all three games this weekend picking up a win and two saves. His six out save on Sunday tied him with Kevin Willman for the most saves in a season by a Northern Colorado pitcher at 10.

Game Notes
- The sweep of UTRGV is the team's first of the WAC season and second of the year.
- Starter Keenan Lum recorded the second straight quality start for UNC going 5.2 innings allowing two runs, both unearned on four hits with a pair of strikeouts.
- Austin Miller and Matt Burkart led the Bears offense with two hits each.

What's Ahead?
The Bears close out the WAC season at home when CSU Bakersfield visits Jackson Field next weekend. UNC and CSUB will start its three-game series on Friday, May 11 at 3 pm MT.

To stay up to date on all things UNC baseball, visit UNCBears.com and follow the team on Twitter at @NCBearsBaseball.