| May 21, 2005
Contact: Matt Schabert (210) 458-4930 Roadrunners drop regular season finale at McNeese State, 9-8; UTSA is number four seed for SLC Tournament Box Score
LAKE CHARLES, La. – In a game that featured five lead changes and four ties, the University of Texas at San Antonio baseball team could not hold onto a three-run lead in the eighth inning and surrendered four runs to host McNeese State in the inning as the Roadrunners suffered a 9-8 defeat to the Cowboys in the regular season finale Saturday at the Cowboy Diamond.
The Roadrunners, who finish the regular season 23-32 overall and 14-13 in the Southland Conference, will be the fourth seed in next week’s conference tournament at Northwestern State. UTSA will face third-seeded Texas State in the first round on Wednesday, May 25 at 3 p.m.. UTSA won the season series with the Bobcats, 2-1.
UTSA Junior Caleb Barton went 5.2 innings and struck out four in getting a no-decision. He was relieved in the sixth by sophomore Josh Ruffin, while Jason Vecchio came on in the eighth and was charged with the loss to fall to 2-4. Bryan Cartie, who had been scheduled to be the starter, picked up the win in relief to go to 5-2. The Cowboys concluded their season 23-31 and 12-15 in the SLC.
UTSA broke open a 5-5 stalemate in the eighth as senior Sean Danielson belted a two-out, two-strike double down the left field line. Freshman Marshal Davis, who came off the bench to go 3-for-3 with two doubles, followed suit with a two-bagger to the same location to plate Danielson, and UTSA had an 8-5 lead. But, the Cowboys poked four hits off Vecchio in the eighth and rallied for the win.
Ryan Crew also had a three-hit day for UTSA as he went 3-for-3 and reached all five times for the second consecutive game. Danielson went 2-for-4, along with Ryan Saltzgaber as UTSA pounded 14 hits and allowed 10 safeties to McNeese.
The Cowboys lit the scoreboard in the first inning with a single run. Bryan Cartie nailed his 22nd double, a McNeese school record, down the left field line. Cartie scored when Taylor Faul’s grounder scooted through the legs of UTSA second baseman J.R. Voyles.
The Roadrunners erased the deficit two innings later with a pair of runs. UTSA loaded the bases with Chris Lewis on a single, Robbie Johns via a double and Sean Danielson with a hit-by-pitch. Voyles grounded into a double play allowing Lewis to tie the game at one. Ryan Crew then collected his second single of the day to push across Johns and make it a 2-1 Roadrunner advantage.
UTSA added another run in the fourth frame as sophomore Michael McKennon drilled the Roadrunners’ 25th triple of the year and scored on Ryan Saltzgaber’s sacrifice fly to left field.
The Roadrunners’ lead was short-lived however as the Cowboys struck for three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to race ahead 4-3. Chad Carnahan reached on UTSA’s third error of the day and stole second. He scored as Josh Fontenot singled. Fontenot then trotted around the bases along with Thomas Zabrasky as Zabrasky lifted his second homer of the year to right field.
The Roadrunners answered right away in the fifth as Danielson led off with UTSA’s second triple of the day to deep center field. On the relay throw, Cowboy second baseman Carnahan mishandled the throw, allowing Danielson to score the tying run.
However, McNeese State re-gained the lead in the bottom of the sixth as Josh Fontenot singled to lead off and scored on Zabrasky’s double to the left field corner. The run was unearned, however, as McKennon had trouble fielding the ball in left field and was charged with the Roadrunners’ fifth error of the game.
In what became a back-and-forth affair, UTSA tied the game with a run in the seventh. Marshal Davis doubled to right field for his second hit of the day and scored as Crew smashed his fourth triple of the year and the Roadrunners’ third of the day to deep left center field. Crew’s hit allowed the Roadrunners to tie the school record for triples in a game.
If the Roadrunners defeat Texas State, they would face the winner of the Northwestern State/Southeastern Louisiana game on Thursday, May 26th at 7 p.m. .
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