SAN ANTONIO — UTSA scored five runs in the first and Brock Hartson held New Mexico State in check in a 9-4 victory on Friday night at Roadrunner Field.
Hartson (7-4) guided the Roadrunners (26-22, 10-11 WAC) to their fourth consecutive Friday night win while allowing only five hits and matching his season high with seven strikeouts.
The Aggies (27-22, 12-10 WAC) took a 2-0 lead in the opening frame, thanks to Quinnton Mack's two-run homer.
However, the Birds plated five runs in the bottom of the stanza, including three on Rodney Garza's bases-clearing double, and they never looked back.
Following a 41-minute lightning delay in the top of the fifth, UTSA added two more runs in the bottom of the panel to increase the advantage to five.
Both teams scored twice in the following frame.
New Mexico State picked up its tallies on Robert Lecount's two-run round-tripper, while UTSA capped the scoring on John Bormann's two-run double to left.
The Roadrunners collected a dozen hits and RJ Perucki led the way with a 3-for-4 performance. Meanwhile, Rodney Garza was 2-for-4 with a double and three RBIs and Bormann had his team-leading 11th double of the spring and also drove in three runs.
Adam Mott (6-5) gave up seven runs (six earned) on eight hits in his 4.2 stanzas.
The second game of the weekend set will take place at 2 p.m. on Saturday. UTSA will send left-hander Michael Kraft (3-5, 4.47 ERA) to the mound, while New Mexico State is expected to counter with southpaw Ryan Beck (7-3, 4.90 ERA).