· Box score
SAN ANTONIO – Louisiana-Lafayette (3-0) jumped out to a 5-0 lead after the top of the top of the eighth and withstood a late UTSA rally to hold on for a 5-2 victory on Saturday afternoon at Roadrunner Field.
The Ragin’ Cajuns managed just five hits off UTSA starter Bradley Chovanec (0-1) but were able to plate single runs in the first, second and fourth innings off the junior right-hander. After UL-Lafayette stretched the lead to 5-0 with runs in the sixth and eighth off junior reliever Mark Ruffin, the Roadrunners made things interesting.
UTSA (0-3) rallied for a pair of runs in its half of the eighth off Ragin’ Cajuns closer Danny Farquhar. Sophomore Michael Rockett led off the inning with an infield single and came home when senior Ryan Saltzgaber stroked a one-out double to right center. Junior Trent Lockwood brought Saltzgaber home two pitches later but was thrown out trying to advance to second on the throw to the plate. Senior Mitch Ponza then struck out to end the threat.
Farquhar, who struck out four in his two innings of work, went on to retire UTSA in order in the ninth.
Brent Solich (1-0) was brilliant in his first start of the season for Louisiana-Lafayette, scattering six hits in six scoreless innings. The left-hander struck out seven and walked two.
Kolin Hatfield, playing in his first game of the season, led the Ragin Cajuns’ offense by going 3-for-3 with a pair of doubles and two RBIs. Nolan Gisclair added three hits and drove in two.
Chovanec, making his first start as a Roadrunner, struck out four and walked just one in his five innings of work. Ruffin relieved him to start the sixth and allowed two runs (one earned) in three innings and freshman Zach Calhoon pitched a scoreless ninth in his UTSA debut.
Junior Zach Etheredge, Lockwood, Rockett and Saltzgaber each had two base hits for the Roadrunners.
The three-game series concludes at 1 p.m. on Sunday.