| Sophomore Matthew James drew a lead-off walk to start the 11th inning and came home with the winning run on Saturday. |
SAN ANTONIO — Sophomore Matthew James scored on a throwing error by third baseman Brady Borque with two down in the 11th after senior Ryan Rummel tied the game with a one-out single up the middle two innings earlier and UTSA posted its first back-to-back victories in more than a month with a 3-2, 11-inning victory against Nicholls on Saturday at the Bird Bath.
The Roadrunners (15-27, 7-19 SLC) won the second game of a Southland Conference series for the first time this season and they last won consecutive outings on March 17 and 19 against Iowa (4-2) and UT Arlington (8-2), respectively. UTSA, which also moved within four games of the eighth and final spot in this month's Southland Tournament, extended its winning streak to 10 games overall and 13 in a row at Roadrunner Field against the Colonels (22-23, 11-15 SLC).
James drew a lead-off walk from Brad Delatte (3-2), who came in from the Nicholls bullpen an inning earlier, to start the winning rally. He promptly was moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior Ryan Hutson and, after pinch hitter Jason Mohn flied out to left for the second out of the frame, senior Jeff Taliaferro lined a shot down the third-base line and Borque was able to make a diving stop. However, his throw to first sailed over the head of Beau Faulk, allowing James to easily cross the plate with the winning run.
Junior right-hander Kevin Clarke (4-2) got the win after tossing a scoreless top of the 11th in relief of starter Ryan Proudfoot, who allowed just two runs on seven hits in the first 10 frames (105 pitches). Proudfoot's outing was the longest by a UTSA hurler since Lucas Stewart went the final 10.2 panels of an 8-6, 16-inning victory at Lamar on April 3, 2004, and it tied Brad Boston's record for the longest start in program history (at Lamar/March 24, 1998).
Nicholls starter Tyler Minto was equally as effective, giving up a pair of runs (one earned) on seven hits and three walks in his nine stanzas of work. The right-hander fanned eight in the 112-pitch (80 strikes) no-decision. Delatte, meanwhile, surrendered three hits and walked one in his 1.2 innings.
The Colonels got on the board in the opening frame when Bear Comer led off the game with a double to left and he came home two batters later on Adam Miley's sacrifice fly to left.
The Roadrunners tied the contest an inning later when Rummel stroked a one-out two-bagger to right center and he came home one hitter later when junior Ryan Hutson singled to left, but Keith Kulbeth misplayed the ball, which allowed Rummel to cross the plate.
Nicholls regained the advantage in the fourth Blake Bergeron's two-out single down the left-field line, which plated Borque, who reached on an infield single.
The Colonels maintained the one-run edge until the ninth, but senior Lance Brown started the panel with a single to right, moved up to second on a sacrifice by freshman Ryan Dalton and came home on Rummel's single up the middle one batter later.
Four Roadrunners — Brown, Rummel, sophomore Casey Selsor and Taliaferro — each had two hits, while Comer and Kulbeth both went 2-for-4 to pace the Colonels.
UTSA will go after its first league sweep of the season at 1 p.m. on Sunday.