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| Redshirt freshman Tim Palincsar had a career-high four RBIs on Sunday. |
SAN ANTONIO – UTSA exploded for nine runs in the eighth inning to break a 5-all tie and completed its third Southland Conference sweep in as many weekends with a 14-5 victory against Southeastern Louisiana on Sunday afternoon at Roadrunner Field.
The Roadrunners improved to 17-11 overall and a perfect 9-0 in league play (best SLC start in school history) in winning their seventh consecutive game and 11th in the past 12 contests overall.
Junior Zach Etheredge got the eighth-inning rally started when he singled to left to start the frame. After he moved up to second on senior Mitch Ponza’s sacrifice bunt, junior Phillip Allen stroked a base hit through the right side of the infield to give UTSA the lead for good.
Junior Marshal Davis and sophomore James Keithley followed with singles to load the bases and redshirt freshman Tim Palincsar’s double down the right-field line plated two more runs to give the Roadrunners an 8-5 lead. UTSA, which sent 14 batters to the plate in the inning, went on to score six more times to clinch the nine-run victory.
Freshman Zach Calhoon (2-1), who came in with the bases loaded and two down in the top half of the inning, struck out Chase Burch to end the threat and keep the game tied at five. Calhoon then fanned two in retiring the side in order in the ninth to pick up his second win of the year.
Palincsar, who had a career-best four RBIs on the afternoon, got the Roadrunners on the board in the first when he launched his third home run of the season to center field. Senior Ryan Saltzgaber and Etheredge added RBI doubles in the frame, as the Roadrunners jumped out to an early 3-0 lead.
Southeastern Louisiana (20-11, 4-5 SLC) picked up its first run of the day in the third and tied it up with a pair one inning later. However, the Roadrunners answered with a two-spot of their own in the bottom of the fourth to retake the lead, but the Lions then knotted the game at five with a two-run fifth.
Eight of UTSA’s starters on offense had at least one hit, as the Roadrunners recorded 17 safeties for the second time in a week. The offense now has registered double-digit hits in each of the last eight games and in 10 of 11 tilts overall.
Allen, Davis and Palincsar all tied their career bests with three hits, while Etheredge, Saltzgaber and Ponza added a pair of safeties apiece. Keithley extended his career-best hitting streak to 16 games, but junior Trent Lockwood saw his streak come to an end at 12 after going 0-for-3.
Allen, Etheredge and Ponza each drove in two runners on the day.
Chris Province (1-3) allowed four runs on four hits and walked two in his 3.1 innings of relief.
Roadrunners starter Ryan Proudfoot lasted just 2.1 innings in his fifth start of the year. Proudfoot – who did not give up a hit – allowed an unearned run, walked three and hit a batter, while striking out just one.
UTSA is back in action on Tuesday when it travels to Austin to face No. 7 Texas (25-9). First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. at UFCU Disch-Falk Field.