| Senior Jeff Taliaferro had five hits this weekend, including a pair of homers, and five RBIs. |
SAN ANTONIO — UTSA saw its season-opening five-game winning streak come to an end on Sunday with a 10-9 loss to Indiana State in the finale of this weekend's four-game series at Roadrunner Field.
The Sycamores (4-3), who had a total of 24 base runners on the afternoon, opened up the scoring with three runs in the second and one more an inning later. The Roadrunners (5-1) got on the board in their half of the third when sophomore Casey Selsor left the park for the second time this season.
However, Indiana State tacked on two more in the fourth to extend the lead to five, but UTSA answered with a three-spot in the bottom of the frame on back-to-back bombs by a pair of newcomers.
Senior Jeff Taliaferro hit a two-run shot off the foul pole in left for his second homer of the year and freshman Jake Wood followed with his first collegiate long ball over the wall in left center.
The Sycamores again stretched the advantage to five with three more marks in the seventh, but the Birds answered one more time with four of their own following the playing of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame."
Junior Brett Aguilar brought home the first run of the inning when he was plunked by Kevin Mann fastball with the bases loaded and just one out. Junior Tyler Carpenter followed with a bases-clearing double to right center, but that would as close as the Roadrunners would get the rest of the day.
ISU plated an insurance run in the ninth to go up, 10-8, and that tally proved to be critical, as UTSA scored one of its own in the bottom of the frame on a Taliaferro run-scoring single to left center. However, pinch hitter Jason Mohn struck out looking with pinch runner Eric Johnston on first base and the Birds saw their school-record start to open a season end at five games.
Mann (1-0) surrendered four runs in three innings in relief of starter Blake Drake to pick up the win, while Tyler Browning got the contest's final out for his first save of the season. Drake allowed four runs on four hits and walked three in 3.1 frames.
Taliaferro was 2-for-4 with three RBIs and he finished the weekend with five hits, including a pair of homers, and five RBIs against his former head coach at Northern Iowa and now the Sycamores mentor, Rick Heller. Sophomore Matthew James and Selsor also added two hits apiece.
Junior lefty D.D Towler (0-1) picked up the loss in his first game as a Roadrunner. The Alice native coughed up six runs (four earned) on eight hits and a pair of walks in his four innings of work.
Indiana State was led by Tyler Graham and Phil Liniger, who both went 3-for-5.
UTSA hits the road for the first time this spring on Tuesday when it travels north along IH-35 to Fort Worth to take on No. 9 TCU (4-0). First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Lupton Stadium and the game will be televised on a tape-delayed basis at 11 p.m. on The Mtn. (check local listings for availability).