· Box score
LAKE CHARLES, La. – UTSA launched three home runs, including a pair of grand slams, and put an exclamation point on a weekend three-game sweep of McNeese State with a 16-2 victory on Sunday. The game was called after the eighth inning due to the conference’s run rule.
The Roadrunners, who swept McNeese for the first time since 1996 and the first time in program history at Cowboy Diamond, won for the fifth time in the last six games and improved to 9-10 and 3-0 in league play. Meanwhile, the Cowboys dropped their sixth straight in falling to 3-20 and 0-3.
With McNeese State leading 2-0 in the fourth, junior Zach Etheredge continued his strong weekend at the plate when he delivered a three-run home run with two down to give UTSA the lead for good at 3-2. It was his second long ball in as many games and the eighth of his career.
It was all Roadrunners after that.
Junior Trent Lockwood launched his second homer in as many days when he went deep with the bases loaded in the fifth. UTSA then put up a four-spot on the strength of five hits the following inning to go up 11-2.
In the eighth, the Roadrunners added five more runs. Sophomore Michael Rockett brought home UTSA’s 12th run with an RBI single through the left side and, after Lockwood walked to load the bases, senior Ryan Saltzgaber delivered his first homer of the year.
UTSA pounded out a season-high 16 hits and finished the three-game series with 37, including 14 for extra bases.
Lockwood led the way by going 3-for-4 with six RBIs, while redshirt freshman Tim Palincsar was 3-for-4 with a double and four runs scored. Rockett added three hits, scored three runs and drove in three.
Charlie Kingrey put the Cowboys on the board in the first when he launched his SLC-leading eighth homer of the season, a two-run shot, to left center off UTSA starter Blake Brannon.
That would be all the damage the Cowboys would inflict on Brannon (1-3), as he collected his first victory of the season. The right-hander allowed two runs on eight hits and struck out six in his seven innings. He has allowed four runs (three earned) and struck out 14 in his last two starts (1.93 ERA).
Senior Josh Blakley tossed a scoreless eighth to end the game.
McNeese State starter Derek Blacksher (0-4) picked up the loss after allowing 11 runs on 11 hits in 5.1 innings.
UTSA begins a five-game home stand on Tuesday, March 20, when it hosts Lamar in the first of a two-game non-conference series at Roadrunner Field. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. in what will be the Roadrunners’ first game at their on-campus home since Feb. 18.
