HOUSTON – Behind a plethora of hits, UTSA claiming a historic series win over its I-10 rival Rice with a 9-3 victory at Reckling Park Saturday.
After a 4-2 win Friday, the Roadrunners (11-12, 3-2) banged out 13 hits in game two of the series. In the 26-year history of the program, UTSA claimed its first-ever series win over the Owls (8-17, 0-5).
Prior to Friday's opener, UTSA was 6-22 all-time, including two wins in 17 matchups in Houston and never won more than one game consecutively. The Roadrunners carry a three-game winning streak into Sunday's finale and seek their first-ever sweep of the Owls.
Ryan Stacy and Dylan Rock led the offensive barrage, registering three hits each, while Slater Foust earned his team-leading fourth win on the mound.
The Roadrunners built leads of 8-0 and 9-1 with at least one run in each of the first five innings.
They built the advantage with one in the first, three in the second, two in both the third and fourth and another solo tally in the fifth. Besides the first inning, UTSA's lead-off man reached in each of the final eight frames.
Foust worked around traffic in the home half of the first, allowing a lead-off single and walked the second hitter. His defense provided support with a nice running catch in center to the third hitter. Garrett Moon threw out a runner attempting to steal third and Foust silenced the threat with a groundout.
With his team producing on offense, Foust retired nine of the next 11 batters. He sat down the Owls in order in the second and surrendered just a one-out single in the third.
Andrew Dunlap trimmed the lead to 8-1 when he deposited Foust's offering beyond the left field wall. The next three Owls were retired in order.
Moon reestablished the eight-run cushion when he registered his first homer of the season to open the visitor's fifth.
Foust gave way to Jake Harrison with two outs and none on in the sixth. He closed the frame and a worked scoreless seventh, before passing the baton to Zachary Griggs with one on and one out in the bottom of the eighth. Griggs allowed a double to the first batter he faced but secured the victory by retiring the final five men he faced.
Stacy went 3-for-4 on the day and his first hit came with one out in the first when he sliced a double into the left center gap. Rice's starter uncorked two wild pitches in the frame, allowing Stacy to move up a base on each and giving UTSA the early 1-0 lead.
He added a single in the next frame and his second double in the fourth, matching the most in a single game and his two doubles are the most in his collegiate career.
Rock posted a 3-for-5 day at the dish, with two runs and an RBI. Moon and Aldo Buendia produced two-hit games, as seven of the nine Roadrunner hitters delivered at least one. Every position player notched at least one hit, run or RBI on the day.
The first pitch of the finale is at 1 p.m. Sunday.
