| Junior James Keithley's (left) two-run single in the ninth propelled UTSA to a 3-1 victory on Tuesday and it also extended his hitting streak to a UTSA-record-tying 23 games. Meanwhile, sophomore Ryan Proudfoot tossed the first complete game of his career, a four-hitter. | |
BEAUMONT ? Junior shortstop James Keithley's high chopper got over the glove of Lamar third baseman Chris Dunkin to bring home two runs in the ninth and sophomore right-hander Ryan Proudfoot tossed the first complete game of his career, a four-hitter, as UTSA won for the seventh time in its last eight games (all on the road) with a 3-1 victory on Tuesday night at Vincent-Beck Stadium.
Proudfoot (5-2) was outstanding in his first midweek start of the year. The Lindale native allowed just an unearned run on four hits and one walk, while striking out four in the 103-pitch masterpiece. He retired the last seven Cardinals he faced and 17 of the final 18 overall.
Keithley, meanwhile, extended his career-best hitting streak to 23 games, which ties the UTSA record set by J.R. Voyles two seasons ago.
The Roadrunners improved to 25-11 on the year and now have won 11 of their past 14 tilts overall. Lamar dropped its fifth contest in a row to fall to 20-15.
UTSA's final-inning rally began when sophomore third baseman Ryan Rummel drew a one-out walk after taking the first two pitches of his plate appearances for strikes. Freshman second baseman Ryan Hutson then stroked a double that landed just inside the left-field line and Keithley followed with his two-run single to give UTSA an insurmountable 3-1 advantage.
Ricky Testa (2-2) gave up both ninth-inning runs and was tagged with the loss.
Hutson, who was 3-for-4 on the night, put the Roadrunners in front 1-0 when he launched his fifth home run of the year over the left field wall in the third.
However, the Cardinals tied things up with an unearned run in the bottom half of the frame. Jeremiah Sammy led off the inning with a double down the right-field line, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Tyler Link and came home two batters later on Brian Taylor's slow grounder to senior first baseman Trent Lockwood.
That would be all Lamar would get the rest of the night, as Proudfoot allowed just two base runners the rest of the way, a leadoff walk to Dunkin in the fourth and a two-out single to Jeff Vickers three innings later.
Cardinals southpaw starter Jordan Thibodeaux allowed one run on three hits and fanned five in five innings.
The brief two-game series concludes at 3 p.m. on Wednesday. Sophomore left-hander Andy Benedict (2-0, 3.38 ERA) is scheduled to make his third start of the season for the Roadrunners.