SAN ANTONIO — UTSA scored three runs with two out in the ninth and the Roadrunners walked off with a 13-12 victory on Saturday that completed a sweep of Lamar at the Bird Bath. It was UTSA's third walk-off triumph in their last five victories against the Cardinals dating back to April 19, 2009.
With runners on the corners, redshirt freshman RJ Perucki hit a 2-0 fastball into right center. Sophomore Daniel Rockett trotted home from third base and senior Tommy Vukovich was streaking to third when assistant coach Brett Lawler waved him in after right fielder Jude Vidrine misplayed the ball. Vukovich slid head first across the plate with the winning run.
The Roadrunners, who have won 10 of their last 12 Southland Conference games, improved to 19-22 overall and 11-10 in league action. UTSA, which opened the year 1-8 in Southland play, also has won four consecutive league series for the first time since 2008.
Freshman Blake Denman (2-2) picked up the win after coming on to record the final out in the top of the ninth.
Jeff Abt (0-3) allowed the final two runs (one earned) on a pair of hits in two-thirds of an frame.
Perucki paced a 15-hit attack with his 3-for-5 performance, while freshman Riley Good added three hits and an RBI. UTSA hammered three home runs on the day, including a pair of two-run shots by Rockett and senior Tyler Carpenter in the third inning. Junior Casey Selsor added a solo bomb to the opposite field on the first pitch of the fifth inning.
UTSA held a 9-4 lead in the top of the fifth before Lamar (22-19, 9-12 SLC) received a run-scoring double off the bat of Wade Mathis and an RBI single by Abt to pull within three.
After Selsor's homer in the bottom of the panel pushed the lead back to four, the Cardinals cut the deficit to one by scoring three runs off freshman Matt Locus in the seventh. Lamar then tied the contest a frame later after Mathis produced a run-scoring single with two outs.
Vidrine's two-run homer with two down in the ninth put the Cardinals ahead 12-10.
UTSA will return to action on Tuesday in a non-conference tilt against Baylor (21-20) at Wolff Stadium. First pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m.
