CHARLOTTE — Dylan Rock had a pair of hits, including his sixth double of the season, but No. 21 Charlotte used a five-run third inning en route to a 6-2 victory over UTSA in the Conference USA series opener on Friday night at Hayes Stadium.
The nationally ranked 49ers erased a 1-0 deficit with the big frame in running their record to 23-9 overall and 12-1 in the league.
Rock had two of UTSA's six hits on the night, while Chase Keng drove in both runs for the Roadrunners, who dropped to 14-13 and 6-6.
UTSA struck first in the top of the third inning. Nick Thornquist lined a two-out double to left-center field and then scored on a base hit to center by Keng that put the visitors up, 1-0.
Charlotte answered with the five-spot in the bottom of the frame. Todd Elwood drew a leadoff walk and then scored all the way from first on a single through the right side of the infield by Jack Dragum. A double down the left-field line by Nate Furman plated Dragum and gave the 49ers the lead. Then, a two-out single through the left side of the infield by Gino Groover sent a pair of runners across the plate, and Dominic Pilolli pushed Groover home on a double down the line in right to make it 5-1.
The Roadrunners got one of the runs back in the top of the fifth. Griffin Paxton and Rock had back-to-back base hits to open the frame and Thornquist was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Keng then lifted a fly ball to the corner in left field to plate Paxton, but Charlotte starter Bryce McGowan got out of the jam with a pair of strikeouts.
Charlotte pushed the lead back to four runs on an RBI-single by Elwood in the bottom of the fifth and cruised to its ninth straight win.
McGowan earned the win to improve to 6-2 on the year, striking out nine and allowing just five hits in five full innings of work.
John Chomko (0-2) struck out four but was tagged with the loss after surrendering five earned runs on four hits in four frames.
The two teams will play a doubleheader scheduled for a noon CT start on Saturday.
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