SAN ANTONIO – Rice plated single runs in the fifth, sixth and seventh inning to rally from behind to post a 5-4 win over UTSA baseball in the first of a pair of seven-inning games on Saturday at Roadrunner Field.
UTSA (15-17, 7-10 Conference USA) saw its 4-2 lead after five complete innings erased by single tallies in the sixth and seventh inning from the Owls.
The Roadrunners combined for 11 hits in the game, getting a three-hit outing from Dylan Rock, who cranked his sixth homer of the year. UTSA also got hits from Nick Thornquist, Chase Keng, Joshua Lamb, Taylor Barber and Kyle Bergeron, with Leyton Barry going for a pair of knocks.
UTSA starter Jacob Jimenez worked two shutout innings, allowing two hits and striking out three. Reece Easterling opened the third inning in relief of Jimenez, working three innings, allowing seven hits and three runs with three strikeouts.
After UTSA took a 4-3 lead in the fifth, lefty Grant Miller (0-2) opened the sixth inning on the mound. Miller worked 1.1 innings, allowing two hits and two runs – one earned – striking out two. Hunter Mason got the final two outs in the seventh.
Rice (17-21-1, 5-12-1 C-USA) starter Mitchell Holcomb (4-4) worked four-plus innings, allowing four runs on eight hits, striking out four. After the go-ahead leadoff homer allowed in the bottom of the fifth, Rice turned to Alex DeLeon (1-0) in relief. DeLeon worked two shutout innings before giving way to Guy Garibay in the seventh. Garibay, who drove in the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly in the seventh, worked a shutout frame for his fourth save of the year.
The series resumes with the nightcap of a doubleheader on Saturday.
In the bottom of the first inning, UTSA struck first for a 1-0 lead. Rock singled down the leftfield line with one out, motoring to third after a double from Thornquist. Keng then scored Rock with a sac fly to leftfield.
Cade Edwards led off the third inning with a single to leftfield and Braden Comeaux followed with a single up the middle, taking second on an attempted throw to get the lead runner at third. Bradley Gneiting and Austin Bulman then forced home the pair with RBI groundouts.
The Roadrunners evened up the game in the bottom of the third, starting with a Rock single up the middle with one out. Keng then pushed Rock to scoring position with a two-out knock up the middle and Lamb scored Rock with a single lined through the right side of the infield.
UTSA regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth inning, getting a leadoff double from Barber, painted inside the rightfield line. Jonathan Tapia pushed him to third on a productive groundout and Josh Killeen scored Barber with a perfectly executed suicide squeeze, pushed down the first-base line.
Gneiting led off the fifth with a solo homer, his fifth of the year, cranked out to rightfield to tie the game 3-3.
Rock answered the Rice homer in the top of the fifth with a leadoff blast in the bottom of the frame, his sixth of the year.
Nathan Becker greeted Miller out of the bullpen with a game-tying, leadoff homer out to right-centerfield, his fourth of the year.
The Owls took the lead in the top of the seventh inning, getting a one-out double from Gneiting, who moved to third after a dropped fly ball in leftfield. Garibay forced home the go-ahead run with a sac fly to centerfield.
GAME NOTES: Freshman RHP Jacob Jimenez made his first start of the year in his third appearance … Jimenez has worked in seven games in his career with three starts … Senior C Nick Thornquist doubled for the sixth time on the year and the 27th time in his career … Junior RF Chase Keng hung his third sac fly of the year and the fifth of his career … Sophomore LF Leyton Barry doubled for the second time on the year and the 11th time in his career … Senior 3B Taylor Barber doubled for the second time in 2021 and the 11th time in his career … Junior CF Dylan Rock homered for the sixth time in 2021 and the 15th time in his career … Junior LHP Grant Miller appeared in his 11th game of the year … Senior RHP Hunter Mason worked in his 13th game of the year and the 58th of his career.
- UTSA -
