SAN ANTONIO – Pedro Pages three-run home run lifted Florida Atlantic over UTSA 8-5 in 12 innings Friday at Roadrunner Field.
The Roadrunners fell to 23-25 overall and 10-14 in Conference USA, while the Owls improved to 33-16, including 18-7 in league play.
In the final home start of his career, Karan Patel allowed one run on three hits and three walks in 6.1 innings of work. He fanned seven batters, bringing his season total to 89 and 235 in his career.
Patel's final strikeout of the night moved him one ahead of assistant coach Brock Hartson on the Roadrunners all-time single season mark. Patel sits in fourth, six shy of Justin Burgess school record, set back in 1995.
After sputtering through the first six innings, both offenses came to life, combining for nine runs over the final three innings of regulation.
Trailing 2-1 in the eighth, Shane Sirdashney beat out an infield single and moved to second on an errant throw, scoring Griffin Paxton. Nick Thornquist gave UTSA the lead when he scored on the errant throw.
In the ninth, the Roadrunners returned the favor with a defensive miscue, accounting for three runs and giving the Owls a 5-4 advantage.
A walk, hit batsman, sacrifice bunt and intentional base-on-balls loaded the bags in the bottom of the ninth. Everyone moved up on Jonathan Tapia's RBI single, knotting the score at 5-5 but a strikeout and groundout sent the game into extras.
Prior to Saturday's game, UTSA's six seniors will be honored in a pregame ceremony. First pitch is at 4 p.m.
