BECKLEY, W.Va. — UTSA picked up a 10-5 victory against Marshall on Saturday afternoon despite wet playing conditions at Epling Stadium.
The Roadrunners’ bats came alive in the middle innings, as they totaled eight of their 10 runs through the three frames.
Trailing 2-1 heading into the top of the fifth, UTSA (11-7, 2-0 C-USA) exploded with a four-run fifth inning. Jesse Baker hit his first home run of the season to even the score at two runs apiece.
After two pitching changes and a John Bormann walk, Matt Hilston laced a ball up the middle to put runners on the corner. Bormann then scored on a defensive miscue by the Thundering Herd (6-10, 0-2 C-USA) that also allowed for Hilston to steal second. Back-to-back hits by the Roadrunners drove in the following two runs of the stanza and put UTSA up, 5-2.
Marshall chipped into the UTSA lead in the fifth, but it was not be enough, as the Birds scored three more runs in the sixth.
Geonte Jackson got things started with a two-out single. Hilston then drew a walk and both players scored on Trent Bowles’ double. Bowles then scored the final run of the inning on C.J. Pickering’s two-bagger.
The Thundering Herd plated runs in the sixth and seventh to cap off its scoring, but the Roadrunners tacked on another two in the ninth for the final five-run margin.
Logan Onda earned the win for UTSA in 0.2 innings of work. The right-hander allowed one run on two hits, struck out one and he has yet to walk a batter in his last 14 appearances dating back to last season.
Keanu Ramos was charged with the loss in 0.1 inning. Ramos gave up one run and one walk.
The middle of the Roadrunners order racked up a majority of the team’s hits. Pickering finished the day 3-for-4 with two RBIs, a double and a run. Bowles was 2-for-5 with three RBIs, two doubles and two runs. Hilston was a perfect 2-for-2 with a home run, three runs and an RBI.
The series will conclude at noon (CT) on Sunday.