SAN ANTONIO — Gonzaga finished off a weekend sweep of UTSA with 12-3 and a 12-4 victories on Sunday.
In the opener, it was run-for-run through the first six innings of action after Gonzaga (9-6) scored lone runs in the first two innings. In the home half of the second, UTSA (8-7) jumped on the board after Skyler Valentine led off the inning with a triple and then crossed home plate on Ben Brookover’s RBI double.
Valentine matched a career-high three hits in Game 1 as he went 3-for-4 with an RBI.
UTSA evened the score in the fourth inning and took the lead in the following frame. Valentine hit a slow roller down the third base line, which allowed Tyler Straub to score from third.
In the sixth, Gonzaga tied the score with a single run before exploding for five runs in the seventh inning and another four in the ninth for the 12-3 victory.
Both teams combined for 29 hits with UTSA committing two defensive miscues and Gonzaga one.
Straub picked up his fifth multiple-hit game of the season as he went 2-for-5 with a run while Brookover finished 2-for-4 with an RBI and a double.
Meanwhile, right-hander Patrick Herbelin was tagged with the loss in two innings of work. Herbelin allowed two runs on four hits and recorded three strikeouts.
His counterpart, Hunter Wells earned the win in six innings of play. Wells struck out five and gave up three runs on nine hits.
In the series finale, the Roadrunners struggled to bounce back after allowing six runs between the first two innings. UTS scored in the bottom of the first but would go five frames before scoring another run in the seventh.
Gonzaga plated two runs in the fourth, a single in the fifth and its final three in the eighth.
The Roadrunners were on the board for the final time in the eighth on Valentine’s 2-RBI double.
Matt Hilston had two of the team’s seven hits with a 2-for-5 performance with two runs, an RBI and a home run.
Roadrunners starter Karan Patel was charged with the loss in four innings of work. The righty allowed eight runs on eight hits and recorded three strikeouts.
Eli Morgan logged seven innings for this second win of the year for Gonzaga. Morgan allowed two runs on four hits and fanned seven batters.
UTSA will return to the Bird Bath on Tuesday, March 15, for a 6 p.m. tilt against I-35 rival Texas State.