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| Redshirt freshman Tim Palincsar had a career-high four hits on Tuesday night. |
SAN ANTONIO ? Freshman Ryan Proudfoot pitched seven strong innings in his first start in more than two weeks and redshirt freshman Tim Palincsar had a career-high four hits, as UTSA easily defeated Texas-Pan American, 12-2, on Tuesday night at Roadrunner Field.
The Roadrunners scored in double figures for the fourth time in the last six games and improved to 22-15 overall, while the Broncs saw their season record fall to 15-29.
Proudfoot (3-1) allowed just one run on four hits in his first start since April 1. The 6-foot-3 right-hander struck out three and retired 11 of the last 12 hitters he faced. Junior Mark Ruffin tossed the final two innings out of the Roadrunners bullpen.
UTSA jumped on Texas-Pan American starter Matt Shepherd for three runs in the first and never looked back.
Palincsar hit a one-out triple to right center and came around to score on sophomore Michael Rockett’s RBI grounder to short. After Trent Lockwood stroked a base hit to right, senior Ryan Saltzgaber launched his fourth homer in the last five games and seventh of the year to give the Roadrunners an early 3-0 advantage.
Dominic Tognietti led off the second with a solo shot to left center to put the Broncs on the board, but UTSA responded with a four-spot three innings later to put the game out of reach.
Sophomore James Keithley got things going with his sixth home run of the season, a towering two-run shot to left, and junior Zach Etheredge brought home two more runners when he singled down the left-field line with two outs.
Palincsar’s one-out single through the right side in the sixth brought home junior Marshal Davis with UTSA’s eighth run of the night and the Roadrunners added two more tallies one frame later to extend the lead to 10-1.
UTPA’s Nick Bourn left the yard for the first time this year to lead off the eighth, but pinch hitter Josh Wilson matched Bourn’s feat in the bottom of the inning by hitting his first long ball of the year, a two-run shot, to complete the scoring.
Rockett (1-for-5) and Lockwood (2-for-4) extended their hitting streaks to 10 and nine games, respectively, while Davis and Saltzgaber added two hits apiece. Etheredge was 1-for-3 with three RBIs.
Shepherd (1-5) was tagged with the loss after giving up seven runs on nine hits in five innings of work.
The series concludes at 3 p.m. on Wednesday. Senior right-hander Blake Brannon (2-4, 9.50 ERA) will come back on just two days rest to start for the Roadrunners. He will oppose UTPA righty Cody Cisper (0-5, 7.80).