RUSTON, La. -- A four-run fourth inning lifted No. 14 Louisiana Tech to a 4-1 win over UTSA baseball in the first of a pair of seven-inning games on Saturday at J.C. Love Field.
UTSA (22-22, 14-15 Conference USA) couldn't overcome the big fourth inning for the Bulldogs, who erased the early one-run lead from the Roadrunners.
The loss evens the four-game series after the Roadrunners posted a 7-5 comeback win over the Bulldogs on Friday night in Ruston. UTSA clinched a berth in the C-USA Championships, hosted by LA Tech on May 26-30, with the Friday night results.
UTSA is in the midst of playing eight straight against a top-20 foe, after splitting the four-game series with No. 19 Old Dominion last weekend. UTSA has won four of its last seven games against top-20 foes and will play a total of 34 percent of its 2021 regular-season schedule against a ranked opponent, the toughest schedule by that metric in program history.
UTSA was held to three hits in the game, getting doubles from Griffin Paxton and Dylan Rock, and a single from Joshua Lamb, who extended his hitting streak to 17 games. Rock moved into a tie for 10th in UTSA history with his 45th career double, stretching his streak of reaching base safely to 22 games.
The Roadrunners turned to sophomore righty Jacob Jimenez for his fourth career start. He worked 2.2 innings, allowing three hits and two walks, striking out one.
Grant Miller (1-2) got the final out in the third before allowing a hit batter and single to open the fourth, with both runners scoring off the next UTSA reliever, freshman Kyle Sonduck. Sonduck got two outs, allowing two runs on three hits, before giving way to lefty Jay Ward, who retired all three he faced to take the game into the fifth inning.
Freshman Fischer Kingsbery came on with two outs in the fifth, working 1.1 innings without allowing a runner.
Louisiana Tech (34-13, 20-8 C-USA) starter Ryan Jennings (5-3) worked seven innings, allowing three hits and one run, walking one and striking out two.
The series will resume with the nightcap of the doubleheader on Saturday.
In the top of the first inning, Paxton led off with a double into the left-centerfield gap, taking third on a groundout from Dylan Rock and scoring after a wild pitch.
The Bulldogs rallied in the bottom of the fourth inning, getting a leadoff single from Steele Netterville and a hit by pitch from Phillip Matulia. After calling on Sonduck in relief, the runners moved up on a balk, with Jorge Corona forcing home Netterville with a groundout and Alex Ray scoring Matulia with an RBI fielder's choice. Hunter Wells followed and forced home Ray with an RBI single into leftfield. Parker Bates then added on with an RBI single into centerfield, scoring Taylor Young, who singled to center with one out.
GAME NOTES: Jr. RHP Jacob Jimenez made his sixth appearance in his fourth start … Jimenez has worked in 10 games with six starts in his career … Junior LHP Grant Miller worked in his 18th game … Freshman RHP Kyle Sonduck worked in his 10th game of the year … Sophomore LHP Jay Ward worked in his 10th game … Freshman RHP Fischer Kingsbery worked in his fifth career game … Senior 1B Griffin Paxton has reached base safely in 40 of his 43 starts in 2021 … Paxton has reached base safely in 103 of 113 career starts … Paxton doubled for the 14th time in 2021 and the 28th of his career … Junior SS Joshua Lamb has a 17-game hitting streak … Lamb has reached base safely in 41 of 44 starts in 2021 … Lamb has reached base safely in 97 of 118 career starts … Junior CF Dylan Rock has reached base safely in 22 straight games … Rock has reached base safely in 40 of 43 starts in 2021 … Rock has reached base safely in 150 of 165 career starts … Rock doubled for the 12th time in 2021 and the 45th time in his career … Junior 3B Jonathan Tapia has reached base safely in 33 of 40 starts in 2021 … Tapia has made starts at second (18), third (18), shortstop (one), leftfield (two) and rightfield (one) in 2021 … Tapia has reached base safely in 96 of 118 career starts … Senior C Nick Thornquist had his streak of reaching base safely snapped at 21 consecutive games … Thornquist has reached base safely in 41 of 44 starts in 2021 … Thornquist has reached base safely in 84 of 98 career starts … UTSA leads the all-time series with Louisiana Tech, 14-12 and own a 9-8 record in Ruston.
- UTSA -
