? Game 1 box score
? Game 2 box score
| Senior Andy Benedict hurled a three-hit shutout in Tuesday's opener. |
MIDLAND ? Senior left-hander Andy Benedict tossed a three-hit shutout, facing just three hitters over the minimum, and UTSA returned to its winning ways with a 2-0, seven-inning victory against Texas Tech in the first game of a Tuesday doubleheader at Citibank Ballpark.
The Roadrunners, who entered the day having lost six of their last seven games, improved to 17-14 with the game one victory, while the Red Raiders fell to 14-20 two days after finishing off a series victory in Lubbock against No. 11 Texas A&M.
Benedict (2-1) was outstanding in his second start of the season, allowing only three singles, while walking a pair and striking out five in the first complete game of his four-year career. The Lewisville native retired the side in the first and fourth stanzas and just one base runner reached second base in the 104-pitch (64 strikes) gem.
"I wanted to go out there and set the tone early," said Benedict, who threw first-pitch strikes to 17 of the 24 batters he faced. "We've been struggling as a staff the last couple of weeks and, as a senior, I felt like it was my responsibility to lead the way. I was able to throw a lot first-pitch strikes with all three of my pitches and the defense did a tremendous job behind me."
Benedict got all the offense he needed in the second when freshman Casey Selsor brought home junior Lance Brown, who led off the frame with a single up the middle, with an RBI fielder's choice to first base.
The Roadrunners went on to add an insurance run an inning later when senior All-American Michael Rockett singled to left with two down and senior Aaron Powell, a Midland native, followed with a run-scoring triple off the top of the wall in left center field.
Rockett went 3-for-4 to extend his hitting streak to 16 games and the Sugar Land native has hit safely in all but one contest this spring.
Chris Richburg had two of the Red Raiders' three hits and Logan Brown had the other.
Texas Tech (15-20) rallied for a 7-6 victory in the nightcap on the strength of a five-run fifth and the right arm of Nathan Karns, but the win did not come without some late-inning drama by UTSA.
The Red Raiders got on the board first with a run in the opening inning off Roadrunners right-handed starter Ryan Proudfoot.
Michael Reed and Joey Kenworthy drew walks to lead off the frame and Taylor Ashby lined a base hit through the left side of the infield with two down to plate Reed with the contest?s first tally.
The Birds (17-15) responded with back-to-back home runs by sophomores Ryan Hutson and Tyler Carpenter to lead off the third for their first lead of the game. The homer was Hutson’s third in the last four games and fifth of season, while Carpenter’s bomb was his second in the past three tilts (third of the year).
Freshman Jason Mohn’s long ball down the left-field line, his third of the year, two innings later stretched the advantage to 3-1, but Tech erupted for five runs on five hits in the fifth to take the lead for good and added an insurance tally in the seventh.
That made a winner out of Karns (2-3), who gave up a half dozen hits, including the three solo homers, while striking out a career-best 11 against no walks. The 6-foot-3, 225 pounder fanned at least two hitters in four of the six innings he pitched, including the side in the first and third panels.
The Roadrunners made things interesting with three unearned runs in the eighth on a dropped fly ball by Tech right fielder Logan Brown, consecutive singles by Powell and Brown, a walk to Selsor and a two-run single by Hutson. Louis Head, who entered the game after Brown?s run-scoring base hit, struck out Carpenter with runners on first and second to end the threat. He went on to retire UTSA in order in the ninth for his first save of the season.
Senior lefty Kris Ruepke (0-3), who came out of the Roadrunners bullpen after Proudfoot gave up back-to-back singles to open the fifth, was saddled with the loss after giving up three runs on two hits and a walk in just a third of an inning.
Hutson went 3-for-3 with a walk and three RBIs to lead UTSA at the plate and Brown added a pair of base hits. Meanwhile, Rockett’s hitting streak came to an end with his 0-for-5 performance.
Ashby went 3-for-4 with a double and RBI to pace the Red Raiders offense.
UTSA returns to Southland Conference play at 6 p.m. on Thursday when it begins a three-game series at Roadrunner Field against Northwestern State (14-14, 8-6 SLC).