· Box score
SAN ANTONIO – UTSA scored seven runs in the first four innings and held on for an 8-5 victory against St. Mary’s on Monday night at Wolff Stadium. The win was the 400th in school history.
St. Mary’s, which trailed the entire game, threatened with an unearned run in the ninth off senior Josh Blakley, but junior J.T. Mackey – who came in with runners on first and second and two outs – picked up his first career save when he coaxed a first-pitch ground out to first by Jonathan Cisneros following a walk that loaded the bases.
The Roadrunners (2-7) got on the board in the first when they scored a pair of runs off Rattlers starter Brandon Key. Junior Marshal Davis drew a one-out walk, advanced to third on a two-out single by junior Trent Lockwood and came around to score on senior Ryan Saltzgaber’s base hit to left field. After redshirt freshman Tim Palincsar drew a walk, sophomore James Keithley rapped a single to right that plated Lockwood.
UTSA extended the lead to 3-0 the following inning when Davis singled up the middle with two down, stole second and was driven home by sophomore Michael Rockett’s ground-rule double to center field.
After the Roadrunners pushed the lead to 7-0 with four runs in the fourth, St. Mary’s got on the board in the next frame with a four-spot of its own off UTSA starter Blake Brannon.
The Rattlers (9-4) drew back-to-back walks to lead off the inning and Ray Camacho followed with a run-scoring double to right center. After a mishandled grounder and a sacrifice fly pulled St. Mary’s within four, Brannon threw two balls to Ryan Femath and head coach Sherman Corbett called Blakley in from the bullpen. The right-hander went on to strike out Femath, but Cody Pyle’s RBI single to center drew the Rattlers one run closer at 7-4.
UTSA added an insurance run in the sixth when Keithley’s two-out, ground-rule double to right plated Palincsar, who reached on a fielder’s choice and stole second one batter earlier.
Blakley (1-0) picked up the win by tossing 4.1 solid innings. He allowed just an unearned run on three hits and a walk and struck out a career-high six hitters.
Keithley led a Roadrunners offense that produced at least 10 hits for the third time in the last four contests by going 3-for-5 with a double and three RBIs. Rockett and Saltzgaber both added a pair of hits, while Lockwood extended his season-opening hitting streak to eight games by singling in his first at bat. Davis, one of seven starters to reach base, was on in all five of his plate appearances (1-for-2, three walks, reached on error).
Brannon gave up four runs (three earned) on three hits and a pair of walks in his third start of the season and struck out three.
Key (0-1) lasted just 3.1 innings in his first start of the year. The right-hander allowed five runs (three earned) on six hits, walked three and struck out four. A quintet of hurlers saw action out of the pen in relief of Key.
UTSA concludes its abbreviated two-game home stand on Tuesday night when Houston (6-6) comes to town. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Wolff Stadium.
