 |
| Junior Ryan Rummel's three-run homer in the fourth gave UTSA the lead for good on Tuesday night. |
SAN ANTONIO ? UTSA got back on the winning track with the help of home runs by senior shortstop Marshal Davis and junior catcher Ryan Rummel and the Roadrunners finished their four-game home stand with an 11-6 victory against Illinois State on Tuesday night at the Bird Bath.
UTSA, which won for the fifth time in its last half dozen contests, improved to 9-4 on the year and reached double figures for the seventh time this season. The Birds, who also came from behind for the seventh time this spring, picked up their 20th victory in the last 24 tilts played at Roadrunner Field and finished the four-game home stand with a 3-1 mark.
The Roadrunners fell behind early for the fifth game in a row when the Redbirds (4-5) scored a pair of runs on two hits, a walk and a dropped fly ball by sophomore center fielder Tyler Carpenter in the top of the third.
However, the Roadrunners responded in their half of the innings on RBI doubles by junior third baseman Lance Brown and senior designated hitter Michael Rockett, which knotted the game at two.
Illinois State went back on top one frame later when Corey Maines led off the stanza with a triple to center and he came home on Ryan Court's sacrifice fly to right one batter later.
UTSA answered once again in the bottom of the inning, this time plating five runs and taking the lead for good.
Senior right fielder Aaron Powell and sophomore second baseman Ryan Hutson both were hit by pitches to start the frame and, after freshman first baseman Matthew James lined out to third, Brown stroked his fourth two-bagger of the year to left to tie the contest at three. Rummel followed with a blast over the scoreboard in left center, his first long ball of the season, to put UTSA in front, 6-3. Davis then launched a shot to right two batters later for the first home run of his four-year career.
After, the Redbirds scored an unearned run off Roadrunners southpaw starter Marc Gomez in the fifth to pull within three, senior left fielder Jose Hernandez got the run back in the bottom of the inning with some head's up base running. The recently-crowned Southland Conference Hitter of the Week led off with a walk, moved to second on a base hit by Powell, to third on a double-play grounder off the bat of Hutson and came home on a wild pitch one offering later.
Illinois State got back within three in the seventh Tyler McNeely's home run to left center off senior lefty Andy Benedict, but UTSA used a three-run eighth to put the game out of reach.
Gomez (1-0) picked up his first collegiate victory with five solid innings. The Corpus Christi native surrendered four runs (three earned) on five hits and a pair of walks and fanned five in his second career start. Benedict gave up an run on two hits and struck out one in his two frames, while sophomore left-hander Matt Crocker was sharp in his first outing since May 2, 2008 (just the second since March 26 of that season), allowing an unearned run and fanning three in 1.1 frames. Junior closer Zach Calhoon got the final two outs to close things out for the Birds.
Rummel finished the night with two hits, a pair of runs scored and three RBIs, while Brown was 2-for-3 with two doubles, three runs and two RBIs. Rockett added three hits to extend his career-long hitting streak to 18 games (dating back to May 16, 2008) and he also tied his season high with three RBIs. Meanwhile, Carpenter continued his career-best hitting streak with a bunt single up the first base line in the eighth and he now has hit safely in 14 straight (dating back to May 23, 2008).
Quinn Ewert (0-1) was tagged with the loss in his first start of the season after giving up seven runs on a half dozen hits in four innings. Ewert, Matt Werderitch and Jake Wielebnicki combined to hit seven Roadrunners on the night.
UTSA resumes the 33-game Southland Conference slate on Friday night when it begins weekend series at UT Arlington (5-9, 0-3 SLC). First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Clay Gould Ballpark and the contest will be the first of a season-long 11-day, eight-game road trip that will not end until Sunday, March 22.
UTSA, which won for the fifth time in its last half dozen contests, improved to 9-4 on the year and reached double figures for the seventh time this season. The Birds, who also came from behind for the seventh time this spring, picked up their 20th victory in the last 24 tilts played at Roadrunner Field and finished the four-game home stand with a 3-1 mark.
The Roadrunners fell behind early for the fifth game in a row when the Redbirds (4-5) scored a pair of runs on two hits, a walk and a dropped fly ball by sophomore center fielder Tyler Carpenter in the top of the third.
However, the Roadrunners responded in their half of the innings on RBI doubles by junior third baseman Lance Brown and senior designated hitter Michael Rockett, which knotted the game at two.
Illinois State went back on top one frame later when Corey Maines led off the stanza with a triple to center and he came home on Ryan Court's sacrifice fly to right one batter later.
UTSA answered once again in the bottom of the inning, this time plating five runs and taking the lead for good.
Senior right fielder Aaron Powell and sophomore second baseman Ryan Hutson both were hit by pitches to start the frame and, after freshman first baseman Matthew James lined out to third, Brown stroked his fourth two-bagger of the year to left to tie the contest at three. Rummel followed with a blast over the scoreboard in left center, his first long ball of the season, to put UTSA in front, 6-3. Davis then launched a shot to right two batters later for the first home run of his four-year career.
After, the Redbirds scored an unearned run off Roadrunners southpaw starter Marc Gomez in the fifth to pull within three, senior left fielder Jose Hernandez got the run back in the bottom of the inning with some head's up base running. The recently-crowned Southland Conference Hitter of the Week led off with a walk, moved to second on a base hit by Powell, to third on a double-play grounder off the bat of Hutson and came home on a wild pitch one offering later.
Illinois State got back within three in the seventh Tyler McNeely's home run to left center off senior lefty Andy Benedict, but UTSA used a three-run eighth to put the game out of reach.
Gomez (1-0) picked up his first collegiate victory with five solid innings. The Corpus Christi native surrendered four runs (three earned) on five hits and a pair of walks and fanned five in his second career start. Benedict gave up an run on two hits and struck out one in his two frames, while sophomore left-hander Matt Crocker was sharp in his first outing since May 2, 2008 (just the second since March 26 of that season), allowing an unearned run and fanning three in 1.1 frames. Junior closer Zach Calhoon got the final two outs to close things out for the Birds.
Rummel finished the night with two hits, a pair of runs scored and three RBIs, while Brown was 2-for-3 with two doubles, three runs and two RBIs. Rockett added three hits to extend his career-long hitting streak to 18 games (dating back to May 16, 2008) and he also tied his season high with three RBIs. Meanwhile, Carpenter continued his career-best hitting streak with a bunt single up the first base line in the eighth and he now has hit safely in 14 straight (dating back to May 23, 2008).
Quinn Ewert (0-1) was tagged with the loss in his first start of the season after giving up seven runs on a half dozen hits in four innings. Ewert, Matt Werderitch and Jake Wielebnicki combined to hit seven Roadrunners on the night.
UTSA resumes the 33-game Southland Conference slate on Friday night when it begins weekend series at UT Arlington (5-9, 0-3 SLC). First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Clay Gould Ballpark and the contest will be the first of a season-long 11-day, eight-game road trip that will not end until Sunday, March 22.