SAN ANTONIO – UTSA baseball plated nine runs in the first inning to fuel a 12-6 win over Rice in the nightcap of a seven-inning doubleheader, on Saturday night at Roadrunner Field.
UTSA (16-17, 8-10 Conference USA) exploded for nine runs in the first inning, adding single tallies in the second, third and sixth inning and fighting off a five-run Rice third inning to post the win.
The Roadrunners got a two-hit game from Griffin Paxton to lead a seven-hit offensive attack. UTSA also got two hits from Jonathan Tapia and hits from Dylan Rock, Joshua Lamb and Leyton Barry.
UTSA starter Kobe Jaramillo worked 2.1 innings, allowing six runs on six hits and a walk, striking out four. Senior Hunter Mason (5-5) then came out of the bullpen, working the final 4.2 innings, allowing a hit and one walk, striking out five.
Rice (17-22-1, 5-13-1 C-USA) starter Matthew Linskey (0-1) did not record an out, walking two and hitting two by pitches. Garrett Zaskoda was called on in relief, getting two outs, before giving way to Josh Larzabal and Reed Gallant. Gallant worked the final 3.2 innings.
The series will conclude on Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Owls got on the board first with a leadoff double from Cade Edwards, who moved to third on a groundout and scored on a one-out wild pitch.
UTSA loaded the bases in the bottom of the first inning on two walks and a hit batter. Nick Thornquist was then hit by a 0-1 offering to score Ryan Hunt with the first UTSA run of the game. Chase Keng greeted Zaskoda with a bases-loaded, four-pitch walk to score Rock. Lamb was then hit by a 1-1 pitch to score Paxton for a 3-0 lead. Barry forced home a pair of runs after hitting into a fielding error and Tapia singled home a run. Hunt followed with a sacrifice bunt to score another run and Rock singled home Tapia for an 8-1 lead. Rock scored after Paxton doubled down the leftfield line for an eight-run lead.
The Roadrunners added on in the second inning, getting a leadoff walk from Keng and singles from Lamb and Barry to load the bases. Sean Arnold forced home Keng with a fielder's choice, giving UTSA a 10-1 lead.
Rice scored five runs on three errors in the third, cutting the lead to 10-6.
UTSA got a run back in the bottom of the third, with Paxton leading off with a single, moving into scoring position on a Thornquist walk and taking third on a sacrifice bunt. Paxton scored after Lamb's sacrifice fly into the gap.
GAME NOTES: Freshman RHP Kobe Jaramillo worked in his eighth game of the year and made his fifth start … Junior DH Ryan Hunt was hit by his seventh and eighth career pitches … Senior C Nick Thornquist was hit by his fifth pitch of the year and the eighth of his career … Junior SS Joshua Lamb was hit by his sixth pitch of the year and the ninth of his career … Junior CF Dylan Rock stole his seventh base of the year and the 25th of his career … Senior 1B Griffin Paxton doubled for the eighth time on the year and the 22nd time in his career … Senior RHP Hunter Mason worked in his 14thgame of the year and the 59th of his career … Lamb hung his sixth sac fly of the year and the ninth of his career … Junior 3B/2B Jonathan Tapia doubled for the fourth time on the year and the 13th time in his career ... Mason is 7-9 in his career.
- UTSA -
