| April 15, 2005 UTSA eases past Texas-Arlington, 12-4 Box Score Rodriguez was touched up for three runs on six hits in the eighth but still had enough to pick up his third consecutive Friday decision and improve to 5-3 on the year. The Roadrunners, who also set a single season mark with their 21st triple, improved to 14-23 overall and 8-5 in the league, picking up a game in the standings on second place UTA. Northwestern State leads the pack at 12-1. The Mavericks fell to 20-18 and 9-4 in the SLC as the Roadrunners got eight hits and six runs off starter Jake Baxter, who entered the weekend with a 7-1 record, three SLC Pitcher of the Week Awards, and a 1.73 ERA. UTSA jumped on top 3-0 in the first inning and led by as many as nine (10-1) after seven frames to win for the first time over UTA since 2001. Senior designated hitter Stephen Holdren put the skids on a 1-for-19 slump by going 3-for-4 with three RBIs and three runs scored. He also stole two bases and hit the record-setting triple in the first inning. Sophomore Michael McKennon also collected three hits as six Roadrunner batsmen recorded at least two safeties. Junior J.R. Voyles, who is hitting .422 in conference play, continued his torrid pace with a 2-for-5 afternoon along with three runs scored. Junior Ryan Crew tallied two hits, as well as senior Chris Lewis, redshirt freshman Phillip Allen and sophomore Ryan Saltzgaber. Saltzgaber also blasted his third career home run. Ryan Nelson and Boomer Welles had two hits apiece to pace the Mavericks. UTSA struck early and often, leading off the first with three tallies. Voyles reached on an error and moved to third on Crew's eight double of the year. Holdren then drilled a triple off the wall in dead center field to plate Crew and Voyles. After the Mavericks got one run back in the fifth, the Roadrunners broke it open in the bottom of the fifth with three more runs. Voyles, Crew and Holdren all singled to load the sacks for senior Chris Lewis. Lewis drew a four-pitch walk for his 23rd RBI of the year. McKennon then singled to drive home Crew, and Saltzgaber completed the scoring trifecta with a sacrifice fly to score Holdren. The Roadrunners added two more in the sixth for an 8-1 lead, then tallied another pair of scores in the seventh for a 10-1 lead. In the eighth, the Mavericks smacked five consecutive hits and scored three runs before Rodriguez settled down and retired the side. UTSA junior Noah Tritz worked the ninth to complete the win. The Mavericks committed five errors on the day, leading to four UTSA runs being unearned. The teams will play game two in the three-game set tomorrow at 2 p.m. at Roadrunner Field. -UTSA- |