| Senior Blake Brannon tied his career high with eight strikeouts on Sunday. |
SAN ANTONIO – UTSA rallied for two runs in the ninth, but the College of Charleston responded with a pair of two-out runs in the 10th and went on to score a 4-2 victory on Sunday at Wolff Stadium. The Cougars (13-3) salvaged the final game of the series and ended the Roadrunners’ nine-game winning streak at Wolff.
Freshman Zach Calhoon, who relieved UTSA starter Blake Brannon in the eighth, retired the first two hitters of the 10th, but the right-hander then proceeded to walk the bases loaded. Roadrunners head coach Sherman Corbett brought in junior Mark Ruffin, but Michael Harrington laced 2-0 pitch to right field that brought home a pair of runs and gave the Cougars the lead for good.
Mike Lynn (1-1) earned the win after retiring UTSA in order in the bottom half of the frame. Calhoon (1-1) picked up the loss for the Roadrunners.
UTSA sent the contest to extra innings with a pair of runs on three hits and one costly College of Charleston error in the ninth.
Junior Trent Lockwood got the rally started with a one-out single off starter Jeff Beliveau, who carried a three-hit shutout into the frame. Senior Ryan Saltzgaber followed with a sharp liner to right that Jedd Cordisco inexplicably dove for and the ball rolled all the way to the warning track. The miscue brought home junior Phillip Allen, who had pinch run for Lockwood, and allowed Saltzgaber to advance to third base. After a walk to junior Zach Etheredge, senior Mitch Ponza stroked an RBI single to center that tied the game at two and sent Beliveau to the showers. Lynn came in from the bullpen and induced an inning-ending double-play grounder off the bat of pinch hitter Greg Sillivent.
Early on, the contest developed into a pitchers’ duel between Brannon and Beliveau with the game going scoreless for the first six innings.
However, the Cougars broke the deadlock with a run in the seventh off Brannon. Michael Harrington and Alex Garabedian led off the frame with back-to-back singles and Brannon then walked Graham Maiden to load the bases. After Ben Lasater hit an infield fly to second base, Michael Kohn’s slow fielder’s choice grounder to second brought Harrington home with the game’s first run.
Charleston then added an insurance run in the eighth when Oliver Marmol drew a lead-off walk, moved to third when Brannon threw wildly to first on a pick-off attempt and came home on Stuart Haywood’s single down the left-field line.
Brannon was solid in his fifth start of the year. The right-hander allowed two runs (one earned) on just six hits and tied his career-high with eight strikeouts in his seven-plus innings of duty.
Beliveau was just as effective, allowing the two ninth-inning runs (one earned) on six hits in 8.1 innings. The southpaw walked four and fanned six.
Lockwood led the Roadrunners offense with a pair of hits and a walk in his four plate appearances.
UTSA returns to Roadrunner Field for the first time since Feb. 18 when it hosts Dallas Baptist on Tuesday night. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m.