SAN ANTONIO — UTSA used a six-run second inning and backed it up by Aaron Burns’ eight innings of three-run baseball to defeat McNeese State 11-5 in the rubber match Sunday afternoon at the Bird Bath.
Burns, making his third start of the early season, was back to his normal rhythm and worked eight innings for his first win of the year. The right-hander scattered nine hits but gave up three runs (one earned) with six strikeouts.
In the early goings, the UTSA (5-2) offense plated six runs to take a 6-2 lead over former Southland foe McNeese State. The Roadrunners batted around and led off with a Skyler Valentine home run. Back-to-back base hits followed by an error scored the second run of the inning. UTSA crunched out back-to-back doubles that scored the next four runs and gave the Roadrunners a lead they wouldn’t relinquish.
Burns held the Cowboys scoreless for five straight innings after the second inning before McNeese State (3-4) added a run in the eighth. Ben Brookover pitched the final inning of action but gave up a two-run homer.
The Roadrunners tacked on a pair of runs in the fourth and another three in the eighth.
Tyler Straub tripled in the fourth inning and brought home Ryan Stacy and was followed by C.J. Pickering’s sac fly that scored Straub.
Straub was a home run shy of the cycle as he went 3-for-5 with a double and a triple with two runs and three RBIs.
In the eighth inning, Matt Hilston crushed a ball over the right field wall for a two-run blast.
UTSA outhit McNeese 13-11 with each team committing a miscue.
Every starter for UTSA recorded at least one hit with four Roadrunners notching multiple hits.
Cowboys starter Ethan Stremmel was charged with the loss in his four innings of action. Stremmel allowed eight runs on nine hits and fanned five batters.
UTSA will begin a five-game road trip on Tuesday, March 1, at No. 12 Houston. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.