| Freshman Clay Schrader had the longest start by a Roadrunner in nearly five years in Saturday's nightcap (photo courtesy of Michael Clements, UTA Athletics). |
ARLINGTON ? Sophomore right fielder Tyler Carpenter went a combined 4-for-10 to extend his career-long hitting streak to 17 games (dating back to May 23, 2008) and UTSA split a doubleheader at UT Arlington by identical scores of 3-2 on Sunday afternoon at Clay Gould Ballpark.
The Roadrunners (10-6, 3-3 SLC) came back from an early deficit to record their eighth come-from-behind win of the season in the first game.
After falling behind 1-0 in the third inning, UTSA plated single runs in the fourth and fifth to take its first lead of the day. An Andrew Kainer one-out double off junior closer Zach Calhoon in the eighth brought home the tying run, but the Birds scored the game-winning tally one frame later on sophomore first baseman Brett Aguilar's two-out double to right center, which plated junior third baseman Lance Brown, who had walked with a batter earlier.
Senior southpaw Kris Ruepke turned in his finest start of the season, allowing a pair of unearned runs on just three hits in 7.1 innings. The Adel, Iowa, native walked two and struck out a season-high six in the no decision. Calhoon was the winning pitcher after striking out three over the final 1.2 frames.
Carpenter went 3-for-5 with a double to lead the Roadrunners at the plate.
Right-handed reliever Matt Otteman (0-1) was tagged with the loss after surrendering the winning run in the ninth. Otteman gave up a pair of hits, walked two and fanned four in his 1.2 innings of work. Nathan Long was solid in his fourth start of the year for the Mavs (7-10, 2-4), alllowing two runs (one earned) on five hits and a pair of walks, while whiffing a half dozen over the first 7.1 innings.
UTSA received an outstanding start from freshman right-hander Clay Schrader in the nightcap, but the Humble native and his Roadrunners teammates were done in on a blown call by the men in blue in the opening frame.
Schrader was able to coax back-to-back ground outs to start the contest, but Michael Choice followed with a single to left and he promptly stole second to move into scoring position. Otteman then hit a grounder to the left side of the infield that clearly hit Choice in the leg and it should have been the end of the inning. Instead, all three umpires agreed that it did not strike UTA's center fielder and he came home when senior shortstop Marshal Davis' throw to first was late. Head coach Sherman Corbett was unsuccessful in his attempt to get the call overturned and the Birds found themselves in an early hole for the seventh time in the last eight contests. Ironically enough, Choice was seen being attended to by the Mavericks training staff in the dugout after crossing the plate and he had an icebag on his leg following the game.
UTSA finally was able to break through against UT Arlington starter Rett Varner in the fifth, scoring a pair of runs when a two-out fielding error by shortstop Tim Steggall allowed Aguilar and sophomore second baseman Ryan Hutson to score.
A leadoff double by Jeff Storms followed by a base hit through the right side of the infield off the bat of Ryan Davis knotted the game at two and it remained that way until the 10th inning.
After the Mavs loaded the bases with two down in the seventh, Schrader took over, retiring nine of the final 10 hitters he faced and the only one to reach was on an error by Brown.
Schrader fanned Steggall to start the 10th, but Corbett elected to bring Calhoon in from the bullpen for the second time on the afternoon. Calhoon got Choice to ground out to third and it appeared as though the inning was about to come to a quiet end. However, Otteman laced a single through the middle to keep the frame alive and Kainer followed with a hit-and-run base hit to center, but senior All-American Michael Rockett was unable to secure the ball and it got past him and that allowed Otteman to race home with the winning run.
Schrader gave up just two runs on seven hits, walked three and fanned four in his 9.1 innings of work. It was the longest starting assignment by a Roadrunner since Lucas Stewart went 10.2 frames in a 16-inning, 8-6 victory against Lamar on April 3, 2004. Calhoon picked up the loss and dropped to 2-1 on the year.
The 10th-inning rally made a winner out of Mavericks closer Jason Mitchell, who held the Roadrunners at bay over the final three innings. Mitchell (2-3) was able to keep the Birds from crossing the plate despite surrendering three hits and a pair of walks. Varner gave up two unearned runs on just three hits, issued four walks and struck out two in his seven frames of work.
Preston McCoy and Otteman both had two hits to lead UTA offensively.
The Roadrunners continue their eight-game road trip on Tuesday night with a 6:30 p.m. contest at Kansas State (15-3). It will be the first of back-to-back games against the Wildcats in Manhattan, Kan, also known as the "Little Apple."