SAN ANTONIO — Brock Hartson pitched a complete game, but he allowed three late runs in the series opener as Western Kentucky notched a 5-4 victory against the Roadrunners on Friday afternoon at Roadrunner Field.
Hartson pitched his fourth career complete game as he registered a season-best 10 strikeouts with two walks. The junior allowed seven hits and five runs for his first loss of the year.
Hilltoppers reliever John Harman picked up the win for WKU as he worked 1.1 innings. Harman did not allow a run, walk or hit through five batters. Tate Glasscock earned his first career save in 0.2 innings of action. Glasscock stuck out one and walked two.
After a three-and-a-half inning pitchers duel, UTSA (12-9, 3-1 C-USA) broke the silence when Kevin Markham crossed home plate on Matt Hilston’s sacrifice bunt.
WKU evened the score in the top fifth and then took a 2-1 lead in the following frame.
In the bottom sixth, the Roadrunners plated two runs to take a 3-2 advantage. John Bormann tied the score for the second time of the game on Trent Bowles’ sacrifice fly. Three batters later, C.J. Pickering stole home for the lead.
The Hilltoppers (11-9, 3-1 C-USA) then scored one in the seventh and two in the ninth for a 5-3 lead and held off the Roadrunners in the bottom ninth to preserve the win.
Jesse Baker and Tyler Straub each had two hits for the Roadrunners while Bowles picked up his 11th double of the year on a 1-for-4 performance.
Ryan Messex led the Hilltoppers lineup with a 2-for-3 performance with a double and a career-matching three RBIs.
Due to the threat of rain, game two of the series now start at 7 p.m. on Saturday.