| Senior Bradley Chovanec went the distance for the second time this season and the third time of his career. |
SAN ANTONIO ? Senior right-hander Bradley Chovanec tossed a six-hit complete game and three Roadrunners hit home runs, as UTSA dealt UT Arlington an 8-2 setback on Saturday afternoon at Roadrunner Field.
The Roadrunners won for the fourth time in their last five contests to improve to18-9 overall and 6-2 in Southland Conference play. The Birds also were victorious for the eighth game in a rowand for the 17th time in the last 18 contests at the Bird Bath. The Mavericks dropped their fifth contest in a row to fall to 7-18(2-6 SLC).
Chovanec (5-2) won his team-leading fifth game of the season and went the distance for the second time this year and third time of his career. The Burton native gave up just six singles, walked three and fanned five in the 119-pitch performance. He retired the last 10 hitters he faced and 13 of the final 14 overall.
Senior first baseman Trent Lockwood and sophomore designated hitter Tim Palincsar both hit their team-leading fifth homers of the year in the fifth and junior shortstop James Keithley launched a two-out bomb in the sixth, his third of the campaign, and extended his hitting streak to 14 games.
Junior left fielder Jose Hernandez went 3-for-4 with a double for his second three-hit effort in the past three contests and junior center fielder Michael Rockett extended his season-long hitting streak to 10 games with a base hit to lead off the seventh. Senior catcher Zach Etheredge and Lockwood both added a pair of hits, while Keithley, Palincsar and Lockwood brought home two runners apiece.
After UTSA jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a pair of runs in the third, the Mavericks tied things up with two of their own the following frame. The Roadrunners went back in front in the bottom half of the inning on Etheredge's RBI single and Palincsar and Lockwood put UTSA up three with their solo shots in the fifth. Two more tallies in the sixth extended the advantage to five and a Lockwood sacrifice fly in the seventh brought home Rockett with the game's final run.
Nathan Long (3-2) allowed seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits and walked a pair in six innings.
UTSA goes for its second league sweep in the last three weekend's at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Sophomore right-hander Ryan Proudfoot (4-0, 3.68 ERA) gets the starting assignment for the Roadrunners. He will square off against righty Andy Sauter (1-1, 3.54).