SAN ANTONIO — UTSA split its Friday doubleheader with defending Pac-12 Champion and 24th-ranked Utah. The Roadrunners (6-4) bounced back from a 17-3 setback in seven innings with an 8-3 victory in the nightcap at Roadrunner Field.
With rain in the forecast, Saturday's contest tentatively is scheduled for 6 p.m. (weather permitting).
Game 2: UTSA 8, #24 Utah 3
UTSA turned things around in Friday's nightcap earning the 8-3 victory over the 24th-ranked Utes (6-3).
The Roadrunners scored early once again after Kevin Markham crossed home plate on a failed pickoff attempt on Skyler Valentine that allowed him to score on the play.
A seven-run second inning put UTSA on top 8-0 for a lead that held the rest of the way. Utah scored runs in the seventh and eighth but wasn't enough to make up the deficit.
UTSA batted around in the second inning and scored early after Bryan Arias led off the inning with a standup double. Arias then crossed home plate on back-to-back wild pitches by starter Jacob Rebar. The bases then became loaded on three straight walks by Rebar and a bases-loaded walk issued to Jesse Baker scored the second run of the inning. Back-to-back hits by Markham and Valentine scored the next three runs while a Trent Bowles grounder and a Chris Estrada double to the right center gap scored the remaining two runs of the stanza.
Meanwhile, Nolan Trabanino collected his third win of the season behind his seven innings of work. The southpaw allowed three runs on five hits and matched a season-high of five strikeouts while not issuing a walk.
Rebar was charged with the loss in his one inning on the mound. The freshman allowed five runs on one hit and allowed four walks.
Game 1: #24 Utah 17, UTSA 3
A pair of costly errors by UTSA in the second inning followed by five walks and a hit by pitch in the third inning resulted in a 17-3 loss for the Roadrunners.
After UTSA scored early in the opening frame, Utah took advantage of a pair of miscues by the Roadrunners. With bases loaded and no outs, a throwing error by Aldo Buendia allowed for two Utes runs to score. A double by catcher Zack Moeller scored the next run and three batters later, a costly fielding error in the outfield allowed for the remaining runs to score.
Utah put up another six-spot in the third inning and went quietly in the fourth. Ben Ostrominski, who came in during the top third and faced the seventh batter of the inning, kept the Utes off the board for the most part. The freshman tossed four innings and allowed two runs on four hits and struck out four.
The Roadrunners chipped at the Utes' lead in the sixth on Bryan Arias' two-run homer, his third straight long ball this season.
The Utes capped off the first of two games Friday night with three runs in the seventh on a bases clearing double and outhit the home team 13-9.
Four Roadrunners registered a pair of hits while Kevin Markham and Bryan Arias both extended their hit streaks to 10 and five, respectively, as they also notched hits in the nightcap.
Right-hander Karan Patel took the loss for UTSA as he pitched two innings and allowed seven runs (five earned) on five hits with one strikeout and three walks.
Jayson Rose got the win for Utah as he logged six innings and allowed three runs on nine hits.