GoUTRGV.com April 3, 2026 – RIO GRANDE VALLEY, Texas – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Vaqueros baseball team fell to the Northwestern State Demons 9-6 on Friday at UTRGV Baseball Stadium in front of a crowd of 2,671. The Vaqueros (14-17, 9-8 SLC) batted around in the first against Dylan Marionneaux (3-2) as the first five batters all had hits. Junior Rocco Garza Gongora opened with a double and senior Thomas Williams hit a single. Juniors Armani Raygoza and PSJA alum Julius Ramirez followed with RBI-singles. Junior Easton Moomau singled to load the bases. One out later, graduate student PSJA alum Diego Villescas walked to force-in a run and senior Hank Warren hit a sacrifice fly to make the score 4-0. Williams finished 2-for-5 with a double and a run scored. Ramirez went 2-for-5 with an RBI. The Demons (20-10, 12-5 SLC) got one back in the second when J.T. Simonelli led off with a single and Michael McAllose hit an RBI-double to make the score 4-1. The Demons scored a pair of unearned runs in the fourth on a two-run single by Joe Siervo after an inning-extending error to pull within 4-3. Graduate student Aaron Sanchez halted the Demons offense for the next two innings with his second-straight scoreless relief appearance, striking out one while scattering three hits in 2.0 innings. Ethan Menard led off the seventh with a single against senior Steven Oliva (0-2). Simonelli followed with a game-tying double. One out later, Noah McNeil, Zach White, and Sam Ardoin all singled, with McNeil and Ardoin driving in runs. Brooks Leonard capped the inning by reaching on an error that allowed Ardoin to score to put the Demons up 7-4. The Vaqueros loaded the bases on walks against Jacob LeBlanc with one out in the eighth. Villescas walked to force-in a run and Warren hit a sacrifice fly to bring the Vaqueros within 7-6. LeBlanc bounced back with a scoreless ninth for his first save. The Demons added two insurance runs in the ninth, as with a runner at third and one out, McNeil hit an RBI-double and White hit an RBI-single. UTRGV and Northwestern State complete this series Saturday at 1 p.m. during Bark in the Park, presented by Raising Cane's. Dogs will receive free bandanas while supplies last. Anyone bringing a dog must fill out the release found here. Fans can save time by downloading it, filling it out, printing it, and bringing it with them. Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased at UTRGVTickets.com. Current UTRGV students receive free general admission with a digital ticket that can be acquired at GoUTRGV.com/StudentTickets while also showing their student ID. Fans can learn more about game day, including parking information, maps, and the clear bag policy, by visiting RallyTheValley.com. Fans can watch domestically on ESPN+ or internationally via Southland International.