SAN ANTONIO — Aaron Burns went the distance and held Rice to one run and was backed by an explosive final two innings on offense, as UTSA defeated the Owls by a score of 6-1 on Saturday afternoon at Roadrunner Field.
Burns tossed his first complete game of the season, the second of his career, and scattered only four hits over nine innings and struck out a season-best six. The senior retired eight of his final nine batters, only giving up a walk to Dane Myers in the top of the ninth.
UTSA (10-8, 1-1 C-USA) outhit Rice, 9-4, with four of those hits coming in the seventh and eighth innings.
Burns held off the Owls in the final five innings of action after giving up a run in the fourth.
Rice (9-9, 1-1 C-USA) scored its only run after Ford Proctor reached first on a fielding error.
The Owls threatened to score in the sixth with bases loaded, but a pickoff at first ended the rally.
The bats came alive for UTSA in the seventh inning.
Matt Hilston drew his team-leading 21st walk of the season to lead off the inning and he moved to second on Ryan Stacy’s sacrifice bunt. Bryan Arias singled to third and put Hilston in scoring position. Skyler Valentine then hit a slow roller down the third-base line and Rice attempted to get Hilston out at home, but he beat the throw for the second run of the frame. Two batters later, Rice’s Blake Fox balked in a run before the Owls forced a pop up to end the inning.
Fox was charged with the loss in seven innings of action.
In the eighth, eight Roadrunners stepped to the plate.
Mason George was hit by relief pitcher Ben Schragger to start the frame and he made his way around the bases on a sacrifice bunt, a ground out and Stacy’s RBI single. Stacy ended the day 2-for-3 with two runs, a double and an RBI. Hilston scored his second run of the day on Arias’ RBI single and Stacy scored the final run on the Roadrunners’ ninth hit of the day behind Valentine’s base hit.
Sunday's rubber game will be played at 1 p.m. on Sunday.