SAN ANTONIO — UTSA scored 25 runs and pounded out 29 hits en route to a doubleheader sweep of Washington State on Saturday at Roadrunner Field. The Roadrunners (11-5) won the opening contest 12-3 and erased a five-run deficit to win the nightcap, 13-10.
John Bormann, Riley Good and John Welborn all collected four hits in the twinbill, while Jesse Baker, RJ Perucki and Mike Warren all had three, including home runs. Baker paced UTSA with five RBIs on the day.
Brock Hartson (2-1) and Jordan Pacheco (3-0) picked up the wins for the Birds on the mound.
UTSA will be in search of its second series victory of the season on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. and the Roadrunners will hand the ball to left-hander Nolan Trabanino (3-1, 2.33 ERA). Washington State (9-5) has yet to announce a starter.
Game 1: UTSA 12, Washington State 3
UTSA broke open a three-run game with seven combined runs in the seventh and eighth innings en route to a 12-3 victory in the opener.
The Roadrunners blew the game open with a unique four-run seventh. The Birds collected only one hit, but three Cougars relievers issued four walks and hit two batters to put UTSA in control of the contest.
Baker hammered the first pitch he saw from Matt Bower over the left-field wall the following frame for a three-run homer, the first of his career, which capped the scoring.
Hartson (2-1) logged his second consecutive quality start. He surrendered two runs (one earned), scattered seven hits and struck out three in 6.1 frames to earn the victory.
UTSA's offense, which pounded out a dozen hits, was paced by Bormann's 3-for-5 effort and Baker's 2-for-4 performance. Warren also hit his first home run of the season, a two-run shot in the first.
Tanner Chleboard (2-2) was tagged with the loss after yielding four runs on six hits over three innings.
Game 2: UTSA 13, Washington State 10
Washington State took a 6-1 advantage into the bottom of the third inning, but the Roadrunners battled back and used a seven-run sixth to overtake the Cougars en route to a 13-10 victory in the nightcap.
The Roadrunners sent 11 batters to the plate during the deciding stanza and posted four hits, including Rodney Garza's two-run single. Tony Ramirez collected the go-ahead RBI after being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Pacheco, Wesley Cox and Matt Sims combined to hold on to the lead and give the Birds the series edge.
Pacheco (3-0) picked up the win in relief after allowing three runs on six hits and striking out a pair in 5.2 relief innings. Cox gave up two runs on four hits over 1.1 frames and Sims struck out two of the three batters he faced in the ninth.
The comeback started in the second when Garza and Good each stroked run-scoring singles.
UTSA went on to score another run in the third and two more in the fourth, thanks to Perucki's fifth round-tripper of the season, which cut Washington State's lead to 7-6.
In the following frame, Baker walked and advanced to second before Good drove him in with a single to tie the game.
The Roadrunners, who tallied 17 hits in the nightcap, scored six more times in the sixth pull away.
Welborn was 4-for-5 with a double and two RBIs, while Perucki tallied three hits to go along with a pair of RBIs. Garza chipped in with two knocks and three RBIs.
Sam Triece (0-1) was saddled with the loss after allowing four runs on two hits and three walks in his 1.1 stanzas.