| April 8, 2005 Rodriguez's shutout propels UTSA past Nicholls State, 3-0 Box Score The senior southpaw tossed a complete game, five-hitter as the University of Texas at San Antonio baseball team defeated Nicholls State, 3-0, in game one of a three-game series at Ray E. Didier Field. Rodriguez, the fourth-year lefthander from Rosenburg, Texas, tossed his second complete game of the year to improve to 4-3 and hurled UTSA's first shutout since former Roadrunner and current student assistant Klae Boehme shut down Southern Illinois 5-0 on March 8, 2004. Rodriguez faced just five over the minimum 32 batters, walked three and struck out three. He was also the beneficiary of two UTSA double plays, including one to end the game as the Roadrunners improved to 12-20 overall and 6-4 in the Southland Conference. The Colonels fell to 14-17 overall and 2-8 in the league. NSU starter Mark Fernandez allowed all three UTSA runs to fall to 4-5. The Roadrunner victory was the fifth straight over Nicholls State and the eighth time in nine tries UTSA has defeated the Colonels. While not posting huge power numbers, the Roadrunner offense did exactly what it needed to do to help Rodriguez. Eight of the nine starters had at least one safety, and UTSA had 11 hits. The visitors scored the only run they would need in the third inning on a sacrifice fly. The Roadrunners added two more in the fifth on a two-RBI single by sophomore Michael McKennon. Senior Sean Danielson, and juniors Ryan Crew and Lee Todesco paced UTSA at the dish, all going 2-for-4. Todesco ran his hitting streak to six games, while junior J.R. Voyles extended his streak to seven with a single to lead off the fifth frame. The Roadrunners notched their single run in the third as Danielson led off with a walk and advanced to third on Crew's double off the right field wall. Senior Stephen Holdren tallied his seventh RBI of the year on a fly out to left field, scoring Danielson. In the fifth, Voyles singled to lead off and went to second on Crew's one-base hit. With two outs, the pair each advanced a base on a balk. McKennon, who had already line out solidly to second base and right field, then blasted a clean single off the rubber and into center field, plating Voyles and Crew. Of the Colonels' five hits, Bubba Bell and Jose Higuera has two each. UTSA and NSU will meet again tomorrow afternoon at 4 p.m. for game two. -UTSA- |