HOUSTON, -- Freshman A.G. Yowell made his first career start with plenty of run supports in UTSA's 14-6 midweek victory against Houston Baptist.
A three-run first inning at Husky Field Tuesday fueled the outburst as the Roadrunners (9-12) register a sixth straight over HBU (5-15).
Yowell, a 6-foot-6 native of Dripping Springs, Texas, worked a career-high 2.2 innings, walking three before Bradley Griggs stranded a runner in scoring position to end the third.
Jonathan Tapia, Ryan Stacy and Bryan Arias jumpstarted the offense in the first inning, when the first three batters in the lineup reached safely.
Arias' single scored Tapia from second, giving UTSA a 1-0 lead. With one out, Bryan Sturgis lined a single into left, plating Stacy from second. An attempt to gun down Arias going from first to third on the play, the ball skipped past the third baseman, allowing Arias to score and Sturges to move to third.
UTSA increased its margin with a run in the second, two in the third and one in the fourth. All told, the Roadrunners plated at least one run in six of the nine innings.
In the fourth and the bags full of Roadrunners, they tallied the lone run of the frame on a bizarre play.
On a 3-1 count, while the Huskies' catcher appealed a check swing – which was confirmed by the first base umpire – the runners advanced on what appeared to be ball four – registering a succesful triple steal and pushing the margin out to 7-0.
With the outcome all but decided, the Huskies offense - which mustered two hits through the first seven innings – tallied six runs on three hits in the eighth.
Aldo Buendia and Arias paced UTSA's offense with three hit performances by each.
Buendia went 3-for-3 on the afternoon, including his second double of the season. The three knocks is a career single-game high.
Arias registered his fourth-straight three hit game, scored three times and drove in two.
Dylan Rock extended his hitting streak to 21 games, the third-longest streak in program history. JR Voyles hit safely in 22 straight in 2006.
The Roadrunners return to Conference USA action Friday, beginning a three-game series in Houston against Rice. First pitch of the opener is at 6:30 p.m.
-UTSA-
