EDINBURG, Texas – Prairie View A&M's late rally came up just short Saturday as the Panthers fell 11-9 to host Texas–Rio Grande Valley at the Al Ogletree Classic.
 
The Panthers scored seven unanswered runs during the game's last three innings Sunday and had the potential tying run at the plate in the top of the ninth inning when UTRGV relief pitcher Andrew Padron got the final out of the game and preserve the win for the Vaqueros.
 
Freshman pitcher Pedro Ortiz pitched five innings and allowed only two runs (one earned) while striking out 10 PVAMU batters to lead the Vaqueros. Prairie View A&M's Joseph Mack gave up six earned runs over four and one-thirds innings to absorb the loss.
 
Marlan Chatman went 2-for-3 with three RBIs after coming into the game as a pinch hitter to lead the Panthers. Nick Gurka went 3-for-6 with two RBIs for Prairie View A&M, while PVAMU's Darrien Williams hit his first home run of the season in the second inning to tie the game at 1-1.
 
Trailing 11-2 in the top of the seventh, UTRGV relief pitcher George Lamb walked a pair of Panthers and struck out two before Edgar Sanchez extended the inning when he reached base on a catcher's interference. Lamb then uncorked a wild pitch while facing Williams, allowing Kevin Macias to score.
 
Williams drew a four-pitch walk (one of three walks for Williams on Sunday), which was then followed by pinch-hitter Santiago Rojas earning a walk after falling behind in the count 0-and-2. Cody Den Beste came home to make the score 11-4 in favor of the home team.
 
PVAMU made it 11-5 in the top of the eighth inning when Chatman knocked an RBI double to score Macias from second base.
 
Against Padron in the ninth inning, Sanchez led off with a walk, and then moved to second two batters later when Thi Mai knocked a one-out base hit. Sanchez was forced out at third on a fielder's choice, but the Panthers moved Mai and Brashad Jones to third base and second base on a wild pitch by Padron.
 
Gurka cut the lead to 11-7 when he knocked single to score both Mai and Jones. Macias then followed with a single, and then Den Beste was hit by a pitch to reload the bases. Chatman then knocked a single to score two more runs, but the Panthers would not get any closer.
 
Prairie View A&M returns to action Tuesday when they travel to Beaumont to face the Lamar Cardinals. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.