MONROE, La. — Senior right-hander Taylor Walton tossed five scoreless innings in his first start of the spring, while fellow senior Tyler Carpenter and sophomore Ryan Dalton both tallied five hits, including their first home runs of the year, and the trio helped lead UTSA to a split of Saturday's doubleheader at Louisiana-Monroe. UTSA (1-2) picked up a 12-2 win in the seven-inning nightcap after dropping the opener, 13-8.
Walton, offense key 12-2 rout at Louisiana-Monroe
MONROE, La. — Senior right-hander Taylor Walton hurled five scoreless innings and the UTSA offense exploded for three home runs in a 12-2, seven-inning victory at Louisiana-Monroe in the second game of a Saturday doubleheader at Warhawk Field.
The Roadrunners (1-2) scored runs in each of the first six innings en route to their first victory of the season.
UTSA jumped ahead of the Warhawks (2-1) for the third consecutive game when sophomore Jake Wood plated senior Tyler Carpenter with a run-scoring single in the opening inning.
The Roadrunners manufactured a run one frame later.
Freshman Mike Warren scored on a safety squeeze by sophomore Daniel Rocket and Carpenter followed with a single to center field, which plated freshman Riley Good.
UTSA continued the offensive fireworks in the third when redshirt freshman RJ Perucki drove in junior Matthew James with an RBI double to left. Perucki scored shortly thereafter when Good belted a two-run homer to right center, which gave the Birds a commaning 6-0 lead.
Sophomore Ryan Dalton and Wood blasted back-to-back round trippers in the fourth. Dalton's 18th career homer was a two-run shot, and Wood's extended the advantage to 9-0.
The Roadrunners were not finished with the offensive breakout, as Carpenter and Dalton each drove in runs in the fifth. Warren's sacrifice fly in the sixth wrapped up UTSA's scoring.
Walton (1-0) limited ULM to just three hits while striking out three in the 79-pitch performance.
Fraser Adams (0-1) gave up six runs on nine hits in his three innings of work.
The series concludes at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
UTSA drops second consecutive contest to Louisiana-Monroe, 13-8
MONROE, La. — Despite scoring in six of the nine innings, UTSA was unable to overcome the consistent scoring efforts by Louisiana-Monroe in a 13-8 loss in the opening game of a Saturday doubleheader.
The Warhawks (2-0) also pushed across runs in six of the nine innings; three apiece in the third and fifth innings, two in the fourth, sixth and eighth and one in the second.
The Roadrunners (0-2) took an early lead in the second when junior Matthew James doubled to right-center field, which brought home junior Colby Braddock, who was hit by a pitch earlier in the frame. James scored on the next play when redshirt freshman RJ Perucki singled up the middle.
After the Warhawks answered with a run in the bottom of the panel, senior Tyler Carpenter launched a solo home run to left, which ave UTSA a 3-1 lead.
However, the lead was short lived, ULM scored three runs to chase junior starting pitcher Casey Selsor from the contest.
UTSA mounted a comeback bid in the sixth.
The Birds received consecutive singles from sophomore Daniel Rockett and Carpenter. Sophomore Ryan Dalton followed with a base hit of his own, which sent Rockett plateward. Two batters later, James hammered another double to the gap, which brought home Carpenter.
However, the Warhawks plated a pair of runs in their half of the inning.
After freshman Riley Good singled in the seventh, Louisiana-Monroe committed back-to-back errors, including one that allowed Good to score. UTSA added another run in the eighth inning on a Perucki RBI double to right, which pushed Selsor across the dish and pulled the Roadrunners within four at 11-7.
The Warhawks put the game out of reach in the eighth after scoring twice.
UTSA scratched across another run in the ninth on a single by sophomore Jake Wood, but, by then, it was too little, too late.
Luke Briley (1-0) picked up the win after allowing five runs in five innings of work. Shelby Aulds earned the save after allowing an unearned run his 1.2 panels.
Selsor (0-1) took the after giving up four runs on five hits in 2.1 frames.
