SAN ANTONIO — Brock Hartson hurled seven-plus strong innings, Daniel Rockett raised his season batting average to .556 with three more hits and a three-run, fourth-inning outburst helped UTSA post a 3-2 victory against Penn State on Saturday night in the fourth game of the UTSA Classic, which is being played this weekend at Wolff Stadium.
Hartson (1-1) gave up two runs (one earned) on five hits, walked two and struck out seven en route to picking up his first collegiate victory.
The Nittany Lions (2-6) picked up an unearned run on a fielder's choice in the third, but the Roadrunners (8-3) took advantage of a Penn State error and scored three times a frame later.
Hartson and a pair of relievers — Wesley Cox and Matt Sims — made the lead stand up.
Cox relieved Hartson after he issued a lead-off walk in the eighth. Four batters later, Sims was brought in and he forced a ground out, gave up an RBI single and walked a batter. Sims' free pass to JJ White loaded the bases with one out, but the right-hander promptly struck out the next two hitters to quel the threat.
The Cypress native then cruised through the ninth to pick up his first save. He forced a pair of ground outs and fanned Luis Montesinos to end the game.
UTSA's deciding inning started with two outs.
Steven Hill struck out the first two batters of the fourth, but Horacio Correa III reached after an errant underhand toss from White sailed over Hill's head at first base. John Welborn and Riley Good made Penn State pay for the error with back-to-back triples on the following two pitches, which gave the Birds the lead for good. Rockett followed Good with an infield single to cap the scoring.
After three scoreless innings, the Nittany Lions scratched across a run, but they were unable to pull even.
Hill (0-3) was saddled with the loss after yielding three runs (all unearned) on six hits in six innings of work. He also matched Hartson with seven strikeouts.
UTSA will conclude tournament play at 4 p.m. on Sunday against former Southland Conference foe Stephen F. Austin (3-5). The Lumberjacks defeated Omaha, 9-2, in the day's other contest and they have split their first two outings this weekend.
Right-hander Clint Sharp (0-1, 4.22 ERA) is scheduled to start for UTSA, while SFA will turn to righty Cameron Gann (0-1, 2.16 ERA).