| Sophomore James Keithley 4-for-4 performance on Thursday night extended his hitting streak to 18 games. |
ARLINGTON – Redshirt freshman Tim Palincsar and sophomore Michael Rockett each launched two-run homers and sophomore James Keithley went 4-for-4 to lead UTSA to a 6-3 victory at Texas-Arlington on Thursday night.
The victory improved the Roadrunners to 18-12 overall and a perfect 10-0 in league play, which is tied for the second-best start in Southland Conference history (Lamar, 14-0, 1984/Texas-Arlington, 10-0, 2006). The Mavericks dropped their 13th game in a row, a school record, and now stand at 9-23 and 0-10.
After Ben Burum led off the second with his fifth home run of the year, UTSA answered with a three-spot the next inning to take a 3-1 lead.
Junior Marshall Davis laced a double down the right-field line with two down to get things started. Keithley, who extended his career-high hitting streak to 18 games with a base hit to lead off the game, followed with a looper to left center that tied the game at one. Palincsar then left the yard for the fourth time this season to put the Roadrunners in front. The homer extended his hitting streak to 10 games.
The Mavericks tied it up one inning later with a pair of runs on four hits off UTSA starter Josh Ruffin, but Rockett delivered his second long ball in as many games with Keithley on first in the fifth to give the Roadrunners the lead for good at 5-3.
Texas-Arlington threatened in the eighth when they got runners on second and third with two down, but Burum was thrown out at the plate when junior J.T. Mackey’s pitch came off the backstop into the waiting arms of catcher Zach Etheredge and he easily threw out the Mavericks’ first baseman to end the frame.
UTSA went on to add an unearned insurance run in the ninth to seal the three-run victory.
Ruffin (3-2) was solid in his ninth start of the season. He went 7.2 innings, allowing three runs on nine hits, while striking out three. Mackey went the final 1.1 innings to earn his third save of the year.
UTA starter Nathan Long (1-5) gave up five runs on seven hits and struck out a half dozen in five innings, while Kendal Carrillo went the final four innings out of the Mavericks bullpen.
The series continues on Friday when right-hander Bradley Chovanec (2-2, 3.47 ERA) squares off against righty Dillon Gee (2-6, 5.25). First pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m. at Clay Gould Ballpark.