EDINBURG, Texas (Interstat) — Julius Ramirez drove in four runs, including a tie-breaking sacrifice fly in the eighth inning, to lead Texas-Rio Grande Valley to an 8-6 comeback victory over New Orleans in a Southland Conference baseball game Saturday at UTRGV Baseball Stadium.

The Vaqueros, who won 10-0 on Friday, erased a three-run deficit in the seventh and capitalized on a critical error to score twice in the eighth, securing the series win and improving to 7-8 overall. New Orleans fell to 6-9.

The most important sequence of the game unfolded in the bottom of the eighth inning with the score tied 6-6. After Karson Evans relieved dominant Privateers pitcher Riley Marcotte, he walked Diego Villescas and allowed a single to Rocco GarzaGongora. Armani Raygoza then hit a fielder’s choice to first baseman Adrian Dominguez, whose throwing error allowed Villescas to score the go-ahead run and moved GarzaGongora to third. Ramirez followed with a sacrifice fly to center, providing a crucial insurance run.

Ramirez, the designated hitter, finished 2 for 4. His two-run homer in the third inning ignited the Vaqueros’ offense after they fell behind early, and his RBI single in the fourth gave them a brief 5-4 lead.

New Orleans was carried by left fielder Kruise Newman, who launched two home runs and drove in all six Privateers runs. His three-run shot off starter Harrison Thayer in the seventh inning put New Orleans back in front 6-5. In the ninth, after Evan Rogers singled, Newman hit his second homer of the game, a two-run blast that cut the deficit to 8-6. Vaqueros reliever Kike Cienfuegos then entered and struck out the next two batters to end the game, earning the save.

Thayer earned the win for Texas-Rio Grande Valley, allowing six hits and four earned runs over 6 1/3 innings while striking out six. Evans took the loss for New Orleans.

The Privateers had taken a 4-1 lead early, scoring once in the third on an RBI single by Owen Smith and three more in the seventh on Newman’s first homer. The Vaqueros chipped away, tying the game 6-6 in the seventh on an RBI single from Hank Warren, which scored Thomas Williams after he advanced on a passed ball.

Marcotte was brilliant in relief for New Orleans, throwing four hitless innings with six strikeouts after replacing starter Reid Leonard in the fourth. His effort kept the Privateers in position to win until the Vaqueros’ eighth-inning rally.

Williams went 3 for 3 with an RBI and a run scored for Texas-Rio Grande Valley.

The victory gave the Vaqueros their second consecutive win following a three-game skid. The Privateers have lost two straight since a win over Jackson State on Tuesday.

The teams conclude the three-game series on Sunday.