MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — UTSA improved to 9-2 in series openers this season with a 4-2 victory at Middle Tennessee on Friday night at Reese Smith Jr. Field.
Brock Hartson (5-2) allowed two earned runs on five hits in 6.2 innings before giving way to Logan Onda who earned his seventh save of the season.
Mike Warren registered his 19th multi-hit game of his senior campaign by going 2-for-4 with a run scored. John Bormann belted his fourth home run of the season and scored twice for the Roadruners (29-18, 13-9 C-USA).
Bormann reached on a throwing error by Blue Raiders third baseman Hank LaRue in the top of the second. After moving around to third base with two outs, Bormann attempted to steal home against Blue Raiders’ starter Zac Curtis, but the left-hander was called for a balk on the play to give the Roadrunners a 1-0 lead.
In the top of the fourth, Bormann sent his fourth home run of the season out to right field on the first pitch he saw from Curtis.
Leading 2-0, the Roadrunners continued to build on its lead in the fifth, as John Welborn and Warren scored to push the lead to 4-0. Welborn scored on Warren’s single into left field. On the throw into third base from left field, the ball careened off the leg of the Middle Tennessee third baseman and into the UTSA dugout. With the ball out of play, Welborn advanced home from second. A batter later, RJ Perucki singled up the middle to plate Warren.
Following a leadoff triple by Ryan Stephens, Middle Tennessee (23-23, 11-11 C-USA) got its first run on an RBI ground out to second base by Michael Adkins. Dustin Delgado cut the lead in half later in the frame with an RBI single to center field.
Onda shut down the Blue Raiders from there striking out five batters, including two in the ninth.
Curtis finished the contest with 12 strikeouts in eight innings and allowed just one earned run.
The series continues at 4 p.m. on Saturday.