? Box score
? Jose Hernandez' home run call as heard on goUTSA.com (1.2 MB)
? Ryan Rummel's home run call as heard on goUTSA.com (1.2 MB)
| Senior Steven Vasquez struck out seven in seven-plus innings on Friday night. |
SAN ANTONIO ? Senior right-hander Steven Vasquez struck out seven in seven-plus innings and the UTSA offense backed him with a 13-hit attack, as the Roadrunners successfully began defense of their 2007 Southland Conference Regular Season Championship with a 13-3 victory against McNeese State on Friday night at Roadrunner Field. The game was called with two outs in the bottom of the eighth inning due to the league's 10-run rule.
UTSA, which scored at least one run in every inning but the second, ended its three-game losing streak with the win and improved to 10-5 overall. Meanwhile, the Cowboys saw their 2008 ledger drop to 3-12.
Vasquez (3-1) was sharp in his fourth start of the season, as 71 of his 100 pitches crossed the plate for strikes. The Beeville native allowed three runs (two earned) on six hits and walked just one in winning his third consecutive decision. At one stretch between the second and sixth innings, he retired 10 in a row and 14 of 15 overall.
Junior J.P. Holton relieved Vasquez after Josh Cholly's lead-off single in the eighth and he got the final three outs for the Roadrunners, who now have won 10 of their last 11 contests at the Bird Bath dating back to April 15, 2007.
Junior shortstop James Keithley went 2-for-4 from the leadoff spot with a triple and four runs scored, while senior catcher Zach Etheredge and junior third baseman Ryan Rummel added two hits, a home run and a pair of RBIs apiece. Junior left fielder Jose Hernandez extended his hitting streak to a half dozen games with a two-run homer to right in the first and eight of the nine starters on offense had at least one hit on the night.
After the Cowboys plated a run in the top of the first on Shon Landry's two-out solo homer, UTSA ? the consensus preseason favorite to win the league ? responded with a three-spot in its half of the frame. The Roadrunners tacked on single runs in the third and fourth to extend the lead to 5-1. UTSA then pushed across two more tallies one stanza later and three in the sixth before closing out the victory with two in the seventh and one in the eighth.
McNeese State southpaw Tyler Davis, the reigning SLC Pitcher of the Week, struggled in his first start since earning the honor on Monday. Davis (1-4) surrendered nine runs (eight earned) on 10 hits in 5.1 innings of work.
Cholly paced the Cowboys offense by going 2-for-3 with his first long ball of the year, a solo shot to lead off the sixth, while Keith Patnode added a pair of hits.
The series continues at 2 p.m. on Saturday. UTSA senior right-hander Bradley Chovanec (3-1, 2.84 ERA) will square off against righty Scott Holstein (0-2, 7.40).