SAN ANTONIO — UTSA rebounded from its Opening Day loss with a 12-1 victory in the first game of Saturday's doubleheader with Quinnipiac, but the Bobcats returned the favor with an 8-7 victory in 12 innings in the nightcap.
The teams will conclude the season-opening four-game series at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday.
UTSA 12, Quinnipiac 1
UTSA scored in all but one inning in the first game of the doubleheader on Saturday. The Roadrunners (1-1) combined for five runs through the first two innings of action and registered another multiple run inning in the fifth with three runs.
Jesse Baker scored first for UTSA in the opening frame as he crossed home on a wild pitch by starting pitcher Alex Vargas. Two batters later, Kevin Markham scored on J.T. Gilmore's RBI grounder.
After totaling three home runs the previous day, C.J. Pickering added to that total in the second with a two-run homer that plated Bryan Arias. Baker came around to score for the second time of the day on a one-out RBI single by Markham.
In the third, Quinnipiac (1-1) found itself on the board on a solo long ball by Liam Scafariello and would be the last time the Bobcats would cross home.
Lone runs in the third and fourth gave UTSA a 7-1 lead and was followed by the three-run fifth. UTSA's only non-scoring inning was the sixth but the Roadrunners tacked on another run in the seventh and then again in the eighth.
In his first action since the 2015 season, redshirt senior Nolan Trabanino (1-0) got the win in his five innings of work. The southpaw allowed just one run on six hits and registered five strikeouts.
Vargas (0-1) took the loss for the Bobcats as he tossed 1.1 innings.
Five Roadrunners notched multiple hits with Markham going 4-for-6 with three runs, three doubles and an RBI.
Quinnipiac 8, UTSA 7 (12 innings)
Saturday's nightcap took an extra three innings before it was complete. UTSA (1-2) held Quinnipiac scoreless through the first three innings, as the Roadrunners led 3-0.
The Roadrunners took the early lead in the bottom of the first after Mason George flew out to left field for the sac fly that scored Markham.
Valentine had the hot bat once again as he blasted his third homer of the season in the third inning. Four batters later and one out, Ben Brookover flew out to right, which plated George for the 3-0 lead.
The Bobcats (2-1) responded with two runs in the fourth and another in the fifth to tie the game at three runs apiece.
In the sixth, the Roadrunners found themselves on top after Markham doubled down the left field line and scored Pickering for the 4-3 lead.
Both teams scored two runs each in the eighth inning but had the Roadrunners leading 6-5. The Bobcats tacked on another two in the ninth but a one-out Markham sac fly in the home half allowed for Arias to score from third to even the score at seven.
Two scoreless innings ensued before the Bobcats plated a run on a single up the middle for the win. Closer Andrew Workman (1-0) held the Roadrunners off the board in his three innings of work as he earned the win. Workman scattered three hits and walked three.
Right-hander Derek Craft (0-1) was charged with the loss as he allowed the go-ahead run in his 1.2 innings of action.
Markham and George each registered three hits with all of Markham's hits going for doubles.
