SAN ANTONIO — UTSA’s penchant for extra-inning games returned on Tuesday, but Dallas Baptist avenged last season’s Western Athletic Conference Tournament Championship Game loss, 6-5, in 12 innings at Roadrunner Field.
Mike Warren went 2-for-5 with two RBIs and Mitchell Matulia had a 3-for-5 performance at the plate to lead UTSA (5-3), but the Roadrunners were victimized by 16 strikeouts.
Mike Weselowski and Nash Knight each knocked in two runs for the Patriots (6-2), while Joseph Shaw struck out nine Roadrunners and held UTSA scoreless over the final 4.2 innings to close out the game and pick up his first win of the season.
UTSA got a leadoff home run from Jesse Baker in the bottom of the first to set the offense in motion and give the Birds a 1-0 edge.
C.J. Pickering added another tally for the homestanding Roadrunners an inning later with an RBI single to center scoring Warren from second.
UTSA continued to pour on the offense in the bottom of the third courtesy of back-to-back RBI doubles from Tony Ramirez and Mike Warren that stretched UTSA’s lead to 4-0.
Dallas Baptist answered back in the top of the fifth behind the duo of Weselowski and Knight.
Weselowski got the Patriots' comeback started with a one-out solo home run and Knight followed later in the frame with a two-run single through the right side to cut the deficit to 4-3. Daniel Salters and Justin Wall both scored on the Knight single after being walked earlier in the inning. That was a sign of things to come, as UTSA tied a program mark for most walks with 14.
Weselowski tied the game in the top of the eighth with an RBI double before the Patriots took their first lead on a Salters RBI double two batters later.
Matulia led off the bottom of the eighth with a single and Warren brought him around to tie the game at five two batters later.
The two teams traded scoreless innings until KJ Alexander singled home the go-ahead run in the top of the 12th with two outs.
UTSA will begin a three-game home series at 6 p.m. on Friday against South Dakota State (5-3).