· Box score
EDINBURG – Texas-Pan American scored three runs in the first and rode the right arms of Bryce Smolen and Steven Davila for a 3-2 victory against UTSA in Sunday’s final game of the Al Ogletree Classic at Edinburg Stadium. The Roadrunners dropped their second consecutive game and saw their record fall to 4-9, while the Broncs improved to 7-13.
Smolen (3-1) allowed just two runs while scattering 10 hits in seven-plus innings. He walked two and struck out five in his third start of the season.
UTSA rallied for a run in the eighth, but Davila got pinch hitter Greg Sillivent to ground out to second with the tying run at third to end the threat. He then went on to retire the Roadrunners in the ninth for his fourth save of the season.
The Roadrunners got on the board in the first when junior Marshal Davis led off with his team-leading 15th walk of the year and sophomore James Keithley followed with a single to right center. Texas-Pan American center fielder Leighton Autrey over ran the ball and that allowed Davis to come home with the game’s first run.
The Broncs answered with three runs on four hits and a costly UTSA error in their half of the first. Roly Gonzalez opened the frame with a base hit to center and then moved to third when Autrey executed the hit and run to perfection with a single through the right side of the infield. UTPA then got on the board when the pair pulled off a successful double steal.
Autrey then advanced to third when Osiel Flores hit a deep fly out to center and Patrick Brooks lined a single to center two batters later that brought Autrey across the plate with the second run of the inning. Brooks then stole second, moved to third on a base hit by Jonathan Hutcherson and came home when Keithley couldn’t handle Davis’ flip to second on a grounder by Matt Guzman that would have ended the frame.
UTSA starter Blake Brannon took the loss and dropped to 0-3 on the season. The senior right-hander allowed three runs on six hits, walked two and struck out four in five innings. Junior Mark Ruffin tossed 1.2 scoreless innings in relief of Brannon, while junior J.T. Mackey fanned three of the four hitters he faced.
Keithley, sophomore Michael Rockett and Saltzgaber each had two hits for the Roadrunners, while Palincsar extended his hitting streak to seven games.
UTSA is back in action on Friday, March 9, when it begins a three-game series against the College of Charleston (11-1) at Wolff Stadium. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m. (please note time change/originally scheduled for 6 p.m.).
