| April 23, 2005 Ruffin gets complete-game victory as Roadrunners down SLU, 5-3 Box Score Ruffin threw his first complete game of the year and struck out five to improve to 4-5. He lost a shutout bid in the top of the ninth as the Lions plated all their runs with two outs on a bases-clearing double. The performance staked UTSA to a 2-0 lead in the weekend series, assuring the Roadrunners their fifth series win as they improved to 11-6 in the Southland Conference. SLU fell to 18-23 and 7-10 in the league. Lewis, who ended Friday's game with a walk-off grand slam in the 10th inning, picked up where he left off, drilling a two-run double to left field in the first inning to lift UTSA to a quick 2-0 lead. His team-leading 15th two-bagger scored junior Ryan Crew and senior Stephen Holdren, who both reached on singles. The Roadrunners upped the margin to 5-0 in the fourth inning as Lewis led off with his 16th double but eventually came around to score on the same play as the relay throw from left field eluded second base and careened across right field and all the way to the fence. Michael McKennon was then hit by a pitch and advanced to second on Ryan Saltzgaber's sacrifice bunt. After McKennon moved to third, Phillip Allen drew a walk to put men on the corners for Danielson. The senior transfer from Kansas State smashed a line drive into the right field gap and motored to third for the Roadrunners' 23rd triple of the year, picking up his 18th and 19th RBIs. Ruffin continued to cruise through the Lion order and retired 13 consecutive batters in the fifth through eight innings. In the ninth, after a strikeout, Gary Duhe broke the ice with a single up the middle. After Kyle Ginn lined out to center field, Steve Clevenger hit a tapper that second baseman J.R. Voyles booted. Randy Roth then loaded the bases as he drew a walk. Ryan Spencer hit a bases-clearing double for a 5-3 UTSA lead, but Spencer was gunned down to end the game center field to second base to third base trying to stretch the double into a triple. The Roadrunners had seven hits on the day with Voyles, Crew and Holdren having one each. Danielson had two more hits and now has six in the first two games of the series. Spencer was the lone Lion with multiple hits as Ruffin allowed just five safeties to the visitors. |