HOUSTON — UTSA scored at least one run in all but two innings, including a six-run fourth, to defeat Houston Baptist by a score of 18-6 on Tuesday afternoon at Husky Field.
All but one Roadrunners starter recorded at least one hit and second baseman Bryan Arias led the way by going 4-for-6 with four runs scored, three RBIs, a double and a home run.
Meanwhile, Chris Estrada and C.J. Pickering each tallied three hits. Pickering also saw time on the mound and tossed four innings and struck out a season-best six batters to earn the win, his first.
UTSA (10-9) opened with a three-run first, but Houston Baptist (8-11) responded with a pair of runs of its own but trailed the Roadrunners the entire way.
After scoring a run in the second and a pair in the third, the Roadrunners exploded with six runs in the fourth to go in front, 12-4.
The Roadrunners batted around in the inning and were led off by a Ben Brookover triple. Back-to-back errors followed that allowed the inning to continue and a run to score. A walk to Estrada and an error pushed across the second run of the inning. On the next at-bat, Pickering laced a ball up the middle that drove in Estrada and Arias while a balk scored Skyler Valentine. Pickering capped the inning with the sixth run, as he broke for home for the stolen base.
Houston Baptist (8-11) produced two runs the rest of the way with lone tallies in the fourth and fifth.
UTSA added runs in the fifth, sixth and eighth to cap off the scoring.
The Roadrunners racked up a season-high 18 hits.
UTSA will return to the friendly confines of Roadrunner Field to host Old Dominion in three-game Conference USA series that is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. on Friday.
