EDINBURG, Texas — On Friday night, the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros defeated the Lamar University Cardinals, 13-3, in seven innings during the Southland Conference opener at UTRGV Baseball Stadium.

The Cardinals got on the board quickly in the top of the first.

Damian Ruiz hit a leadoff single to left to extend his hitting streak to 11 games.

After Ruiz advanced to second on a wild pitch, Brayden Evans delivered an RBI single to left center.

Tab Tracy followed up with a single through the left side. Zane Spinn then brought in two runs with the third straight single to put the Cards ahead 3-0.

The Vaqueros rallied for six runs in the bottom of the first, flipping the script by taking a 6-3 lead.

UTRGV added six more runs in the bottom of the fifth which included a two-run home run.

The Vaqueros extended their lead to 10 runs in the bottom of the sixth.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Evans finished 2 for 3 with two singles and an RBI.
• Evans is 8 for 10 in his last three plate appearances with six singles, a double, a triple and five RBIs.
• Spinn went 1 for 2 with a single, a walk and two RBIs. Spinn has reached base safely in his last 11 plate appearances.
• Ruiz had the single to go 1 for 3. He entered the game ranked second in NCAA Division I in hits, first in doubles and seventh in total bases.
• Tracy had a walk and a single to go 1 for 2.
• Heladio Moreno finished 1 for 2 with a single to extend his hitting streak to nine games.
• Relief pitcher Luke Krkovski did not allow a single run over 1.2 innings pitched.

UP NEXT

Game 2 is at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, March 1.