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LAKE CHARLES, La. — Sophomore Michael Kraft tossed eight no-hit innings and UTSA held off a ninth-inning rally to top McNeese State, 4-3, on Friday night at Cowboy Diamond. It marked the longest no-hit bid by a Roadrunner since Josh Ruffin went 6.2 innings with allowing a hit on March 18, 2006, at Lamar.
Kraft (5-3) allowed a lead-off walk in the ninth before Matt Henry hit a single into right-center field to thwart the no-hitter. The San Antonio native, who exited the game after Henry's single, allowed two runs (one earned), walked seven and struck out eight. The left-hander saw just six balls leave the infield in the gem.
Sophomore Matt Sims came on to close out the contest for his fourth save of the season, as UTSA (12-19, 4-10 SLC) snapped a season-long six-game losing streak.
"I thought my fastball had good movement tonight," Kraft said. "I tried not to think too much about what was going on and press too much."
"Michael had an outstanding performance," 12th-year head coach Sherman Corbett said. "He was able to settle in and pitch off his fastball. I know everyone was rooting for him and it was nerve-racking in the dugout."
Sims, who entered the contest with runners on the corners, received some help from freshman catcher John Bormann, who threw out pinch runner Connor Lloyd in an attempt to steal second base. He then struck out Skylar Barrentine before Andrew Guillotte hit an infield single that pushed a run across the plate. However, the Cypress native was able to thwart the rally by inducing a Renny Weber pop out to junior third baseman Ryan Dalton in foul territory.
Dalton helped put UTSA in front after hitting a solo home run in the sixth and drawing a bases-loaded walk an inning later.
The Cowboys (12-16, 8-6 SLC) scored a run in the first to take an early lead. Kraft issued back-to-back walks to the first two hitters he faced and, after a flyout, Seth Granger hit a sacrfice fly to center, which allowed Weber to score.
"Coming out in the first inning, I didn't feel I had the best command of my stuff, but I eventually worked into a good rhythm," Kraft said.
The Birds answered with a pair of runs in the following frame when sophomores John Welborn and RJ Perucki produced run-scoring singles.
UTSA added solo marks in the sixth and seventh thanks to Dalton.
Meanwhile, McNeese State cut the lead to two in the eighth after Weber scored on an error.
Blake Ware (4-3) surrendered four runs (three earned) on nine hits and a walk and fanned a half dozen in 6.1 innings.
The series concludes at 1 p.m. on Saturday.