? Box score
? Zach Calhoon tying career saves record as heard on goUTSA.com (4.1 MB)
| Sophomore Zach Calhoon tied UTSA's record with his 11th career save on Friday. |
SAN ANTONIO ? Three UTSA pitchers combined to strike out 13 UT Arlington hitters and the Roadrunners collected a 5-3 victory on Friday night in the opener of a three-game Southland Conference series at Roadrunner Field.
UTSA, which won the third time in the last four contests, improved to 17-9 overall and 5-2 in league play. The Roadrunners also continued their hot play at the Bird Bath, winning their seventh game in a row and for the 16th time in the last 17 contests at their on-campus facility. The Mavericks dropped their fourth in a row to fall to 7-17 (2-5 SLC).
Senior right-hander starter Steven Vasquez (4-2) fanned eight in 6.2 strong innings, including the side in both the second and fourth frames. The Beeville native gave up three runs (two earned) on a half dozen hits and walked just one in the 119-pitch effort. The victory was the 17th of his career and he moved into sole possession of fifth place on the school's all-time list.
With UTSA clinging to a 5-3 lead in the seventh, junior righty J.P. Holton relieved Vasquez with two down and runners on first and third. The Lufkin native promptly induced a fielder's choice grounder to freshman second baseman Ryan Hutson to end the threat. Holton went on to punch out two Mavericks in a scoreless eighth and that set the stage for sophomore right-handed closer Zach Calhoon to make school history.
Calhoon needed just 15 pitches to strike out the side in the final stanza and he picked up his fifth save of the year and the 11th of his young career to tie Lucas Stewart's program record, which was set from 2003-04.
UTSA used two runs in the first, a pair one inning later and a single mark in the third to take a commanding 5-0 lead a third of the way through.
Sophomore Tim Palincsar got things going in the first when he drew a one-out walk from UT Arlington starter Ryan Robinson (1-3). Junior center fielder Michael Rockett followed with a single and freshman third baseman Tyler Carpenter brought home the game's first run two batters later with an infield single behind second base. UTA shortstop Jay Pitschka kicked the ball after ranging far to his left and that allowed Rockett to score all the way from second on the play.
Back-to-back one-out singles by senior right fielder Phillip Allen and junior shortstop James Keithley got the second inning rally started. A double steal two batters later put the pair in scoring position and Rockett brought them home with his third triple of the year to push the advantage to 4-0.
Hutson put UTSA up five with his two-out RBI single one inning later.
The Mavericks got on the board in the fifth with an unearned run and UTA then got to Vasquez for a pair in the seventh.
Danny Slinkman led off with a double and Matthew Otteman followed with a base hit to center. After Vasquez struck out Jeff Storms, Chad Comer stroked a two-bagger down the left-field line to bring home Slinkman with the frame's first tally. An Evan Raley grounder to third plated Otteman and pulled the Mavericks within two. Pitschka then drew and base on balls to put runners on the corners and UTSA head coach Sherman Corbett made the call to the bullpen for Holton.
Rockett led the Roadrunners with three hits to extend his hitting streak to nine games, while Keithley (1-for-4) and Carpenter (2-for-4) pushed their streaks to 13 and 11 contests, respectively.
Robinson surrendered five runs (three earned) on 10 hits, walked two and fanned six in 6.2 innings.
Comer and Slinkman both had a pair of hits to lead the Mavericks.
The series continues at 2 p.m. on Saturday. Senior right-hander Bradley Chovanec (4-2, 4.58 ERA) will square off against righty Nathan Long (3-1, 4.26).