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| Junior James Keithley tied UTSA's nine-year-old single-season record with his 66th run of the season. |
SAN ANTONIO ? Senior catcher Zach Etheredge and junior center fielder Michael Rockett both hit home runs, but Houston scored seven runs in fourth inning and cruised to a 14-4 victory against UTSA on Tuesday night at Roadrunner Field. The game was called at the end of the seventh due to the 10-run rule.
Fresh off clinching their second consecutive Southland Conference Regular Season Championship on Sunday, the Roadrunners saw their nine-game winning streak at the Bird Bath come to an end and dropped to 37-15 on the year. The Cougars snapped a three-game skid in improving to 31-21.
After Houston took a 2-0 lead in the third on Jimmy Cesario's two-run homer to left center, Etheredge greeted reliever Jimmy Raviele with his fourth long ball of the year to lead off the bottom half of the inning and that trimmed the lead in half.
However, the Cougars exploded for a seven-spot on seven hits one inning later to put the game out of reach. Brian Tully's three-RBI triple down the left-field line was the big hit of the frame.
Houston went on to score three more runs in the fifth on Zak Presley's first homer of the year to stretch the lead to 12-1.
Senior second baseman Phillip Allen's run-scoring single up the middle in the bottom half of the stanza gave the Birds their second run of the night and they had a chance to pull closer with the bases loaded and nobody out. However, UTSA's 2-3-4 hitters ? sophomore designated hitter Tim Palincsar, Rockett and senior first baseman Trent Lockwood ? struck out looking, struck out swinging and grounded out to first, respectively, to end the rally. The trio entered the night with 185 of the team's 378 RBIs this season.
Cesario launched his second bomb of the night, his seventh of the year, to start the seventh and Tully knocked in his fourth run three batters later with a double to right center to push the advantage to a dozen.
Rockett hit a two-run homer, his ninth of the campaign, in the bottom of the inning to bring home junior shortstop James Keithley with his 66th run of the season, which tied the program's nine-year record set by Jeff Juarez in 1999. Lockwood followed with a two-bagger down the right-field line and a walk to freshman pinch hitter Brett Aguilar and single by Etheredge, his third of the night, loaded the bases, but sophomore third baseman Ryan Rummel grounded out to the pitcher to end the game.
Houston left-handed starter Donnie Joseph (1-1), who was working on a pitch count, picked up his first win of the season with two scoreless innings.
Every starter in the Cougars lineup had at least one hit in the 17-hit, 11-walk offensive onslaught. Cesario was 2-for-4 with three runs scored and three RBIs to go along with his two homers, while Tully added a pair of hits and four RBIs. The damage could have been much worse, as Houston stranded 11 base runners on the night. The Cougars also swiped five bases.
Roadrunners right-hander starter Steven Vasquez (7-4) surrendered five runs on nine hits and walked three in 3.1 innings. Winless in his last four starts, Vasquez last won on April 18 against Stephen F. Austin.
UTSA ends its current five-game home stand at 6 p.m. on Thursday against I-35 rival Texas State (27-24, 17-10 SLC). It will be the Roadrunners' final home game of the season. Sophomore right-hander Ryan Proudfoot (7-2, 4.02 ERA) will get the start on the mound.