SAN ANTONIO – UTSA fell to Louisiana Tech Saturday afternoon, 5-4 as the Bulldogs got a game-winning home run in the top of the ninth inning.
After falling behind 1-0 early, UTSA (11-7, 0-2 C-USA) retook the lead in the bottom of the third and would hold onto the lead until the top of the ninth inning. In the top of the ninth, Louisiana Tech (14-5, 2-0 C-USA) outfielder Philip Matulia launched a deep two-run homer to right field to give the Bulldogs the 5-4 advantage and that score would stand as UTSA lost its second straight.
Ian Bailey and Sammy Diaz were the lone Roadrunners to record multi-hit games on the day to lead UTSA at the plate. One of Bailey's hits was his seventh homerun on the season and put UTSA on top in the bottom of the third. Diaz's two hits on the day allowed the catcher to extend his hit streak to now 11 games on the year.
The Roadrunners started sophomore righty Ulises Quiroga who worked two innings, allowed a run on three hits and struck out one on 35 pitches. Jacob Jimenez opened the third inning and worked into the fifth, tossing 2.2 hitless innings, allowing a walk and striking out three.
Lefty Josh Salinas came on with two outs and a runner on first in the fifth to face a left-handed hitter and allowed a jam-shot single to bring in John Chomko out of the pen. Chomko worked a pair of outs, both strikeouts, and allowed a run on three walks. Freshman Ryan Beaird came on in a jam in a sixth-inning jam and worked 2.1 innings, not allowing a hit but surrendering a run on two walks with two strikeouts.
UTSA turned to Grant Miller with two outs in the eighth inning in relief of Beaird, with the tying run on second and the go-ahead run on first. Miller escaped the jam with a key strikeout. Daniel Shafer (0-1) opened the ninth on the mound for UTSA, allowing a hit batter and the two-run homer to lift the Bulldogs to the win.
Louisiana Tech starter Ryan Jennings worked 2.1 innings, allowing three runs on three hits and two walks, striking out three. Greg Martinez took over in relief for Jennings after a two-run homer in the third inning. He worked an out, allowing two walks, giving way to lefty Ryan Harland, who turned in yeoman's work with 4.1 shutout innings, fanning three. Landon Tomkins (2-1) worked the eight to earn the win and Kyle Crigger charted his third save of the year with the ninth.
The Bulldogs opened the scoring in the top of the second inning, getting a leadoff double into the gap from Matulia, who took third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly to center from Bryce Wallace.
UTSA evened up the game in the bottom of the second, getting a one-out single into the gap from Ryan Flores. After a hit by pitch from Shane Sirdashney and a four-pitch walk from Garrett Poston loaded the bases with one out, Diaz was hit by a pitch to force home Flores and tie the game at 1-1.
Bailey gave UTSA a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the third, cranking his league-leading seventh homer of the year, a no-doubt, two-run shot belted out to left that scored Chase Keng – who singled to lead off. It was the 13th homer of Bailey's two-year UTSA career and the 19th of his NCAA career.
Bailey jump-started a UTSA rally in the fifth, pounding a leadoff double off the top of the wall in left-centerfield. After a passed ball on a cross-up between the battery allowed Bailey to take third, Flores hung a sacrifice fly to leftfield to plate Bailey for a 4-1 UTSA lead.
The Bulldogs cut into the lead in the top of the sixth inning, getting three walks to load the bases before Taylor Young hit into an RBI fielder's choice to score Walker Burchfield and cut the lead to 4-2.
LA Tech rallied in the eighth, getting a pair of one-out hit by pitches from Wallace and Logan McLeod. After Wade Elliott beat out the back end of a potential inning-ending double play, Taylor Young drew a five-pitch walk, with the fourth ball skidding away for a wild pitch that allowed Wallace to score to cut the lead to 4-3.
After plunking J.D. Corona with a pitch with one out, Matulia gave LA Tech the lead with a two-run homer – his fifth of the year – in the ninth inning.
Saturday Notes
Home Runs
UTSA: Ian Bailey (7)
La Tech: Philip Matulia (5)
WP – Landon Tomkins (2-0): 1.0 IP, 1 hit, 0 runs, 1 walk, 2 strikeouts
SV – Kyle Crigger (3): 1.0 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 1 strikeout
LP – Daniel Shafer (0-1): 1.0 IP, 1 hit, 2 runs, 0 walks, 2 strikeouts
Up Next
UTSA will return to Roadrunner Field tomorrow, March 20, to face Louisiana Tech for the third and final game of the weekend series. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. and the game will be streamed on CUSA.tv.
- UTSA -
