Scorpions Split Doubleheader; Belleperche "Dominant"
Posted March 3, 2007

AUSTIN –- David Belleperche pitched nine innings of three-hit baseball to lead UTB/TSC to a 4-1 victory over Huston-Tillotson University at Downs Field Saturday, March 3, and a split of the doubleheader.

HTU won the opening game Saturday, 13-10. The split left the Scorpions with a 7-9-1 season record. HTU, which won two of the three non-conference games against the Scorpions, is now 8-12.

"David was dominant as far as filling up the strike zone,” Scorpion head coach Joel Barta said. “The biggest thing for him was that he did not generate walks. He forced them to put it in play.”

“Our younger pitchers are still learning how to attack hitters, and pitch with some meanness. When they see Trey (Garcia) and David doing that, it will help them.”

The Scorpions next play Texas Wesleyan University at Fort Worth in doubleheaders on Friday and Saturday, March 9-10. HTU comes to Brownsville for a Red River Athletic Conference series March 30-31.

Game 1: HTU 13, UTB/TSC 10

Scorpion errors contributed to the loss in an ugly game. Julian Moya and Kevin Cantu each went three innings, allowing a combined 13 hits and 10 earned runs.

UTB/TSC led 7-6 after three innings before the Rams erupted for seven runs in the fourth and fifth to take a 13-8 lead.

Brian Dombeck and Andres Monterrubio each had three hits and drove in two runs, while Chris Walker had two hits and drove in three. Gabe Cruz had one hit, scored twice, and drove in two runs for the Scorpions.

Game 2: UTB/TSC 4, HTU 1

Belleperche (2-1) hurled the best game of the season by any Scorpion, allowing only a single unearned run in the second inning. He struck out two and walked one.

The Scorpions scored three runs in the first two innings to provide Belleperche a cushion. Scott Price tripled in the seventh and had two of the four Scorpion hits, scored a run, and drove in another.