BILOXI, Miss. — Colton Laws tossed a four-hit shutout and set a Conference USA Tournament record with 14 strikeouts to lead Charlotte to a 5-0 victory against UTSA on Thursday night at MGM Park.
Laws made quick work of the Roadrunners lineup, as he retired his first 18 batters he faced and 21 of the first 22 he saw overall. He needed just 102 pitches en route to the first complete game of his career.
UTSA (29-27), which matched a season-low with four hits, broke up Laws' perfect game in the seventh when Kevin Markham led off the inning with a double to right field to bring his season total to 21. The Roadrunners had one more hit in the eighth when Jesse Baker singled up the middle.
With the help of stout defense, starter C.J. Pickering held the 49ers (34-22) to a pair of runs on six hits through the first six innings and the Roadrunners turned a pair of non-traditional double plays to keep Charlotte within striking distance.
In the fourth inning, Reece Hampton laid down a sacrifice bunt to advance the runner on first but after rounding second, Jackson Mims was thrown out at third to end the inning.
Two innings later, Logan Sherer flew out to left, but Trent Bowles threw out T.J. Nichting at home.
Pickering was charged with the loss after surrendering all five of Charlotte's runs on 10 hits and two walks while striking out a pair.
The Roadrunners' only other two hits of the game came in the ninth when Mason George led off the frame with a pinch-hit single and Bryan Arias added a base hit three batters later.
Charlotte registered 11 hits in the game and was led by Hunter Jones, who had three in addition to scoring two runs.
UTSA will face top seed and 11th-ranked Southern Miss (45-13) for the second time in the tournament and the fifth time in the past nine days in a 6:30 p.m. elimination game on Friday. The Roadrunners snapped the Golden Eagles' 14-game winning streak with a 9-2 victory in Thursday's opening round.
