BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Leyton Barry and Nick Thornquist each drove in five runs to lead UTSA baseball to a 16-14 win at UAB in the series finale, on Sunday afternoon at Young Memorial Field.
UTSA (19-19, 11-12 Conference USA) used an explosive offensive attack to secure a series split with UAB in the four-game set in Birmingham. The Blazers claimed the first two games with two-run decisions before UTSA's offensive attack exploded for 30 runs over the final two games, including a 14-3 win on Saturday in the finale of a doubleheader.
The Roadrunners trailed 5-1 after three innings and rallied to outscore the Blazers 15-9 over the final six innings, including a three-run fourth, a six-run sixth and a four-run eighth. UAB rallied to force a save situation in the ninth, plating five runs as three Roadrunners pitched in the frame.
Barry went a career-high 4-for-5 with five RBI, including his second homer of the year. Thornquist cranked a pair of homers, including a grand slam for the second straight game. He finished 3-for-5 with five RBI and a walk.
Jonathan Tapia added a 3-for-4 game with two RBI and a triple. UTSA saw Joshua Lamb and Griffin Paxton each chart two-hit games, with Lamb extended his hitting streak to 11 games. Shea Gutierrez and Chase Keng each added hits and Dylan Rock drew a trio of walks, scoring two runs.
The Roadrunners started freshman righty Simon Miller, who was chased after a pair of outs in the first inning. Senior righty Hunter Mason came on to escape the jam in the first, working 4.1 innings, allowing seven hits and four runs, striking out five.
After allowing a pair of runs on three hits to open the sixth, UTSA turned to lefty Grant Miller in relief. Miller escaped the jam with three outs in the sixth and after a leadoff knock allowed in the bottom of the seventh, Reece Easterling took over, getting a pair of outs, allowing a run on two hits.
UTSA then turned to Daniel Garza to work in his 10th game of the year, with Garza tossing 1.2 innings, allowing two hits and three runs, walking two and striking out two. Shane Anderson faced three hitters, allowing two hits and a walk. John Chomko got the final two outs in the ninth, earning his first career save.
UAB (15-30, 8-16 C-USA) starter Austin Bohannon (0-3) worked 5.1 innings, allowing eight hits and six runs, walking two and striking out one. Tanner Rusk was called on in relief in the sixth inning, working the final two outs of the sixth, allowing four runs on three hits and a walk. Closer Brady Greene opened the seventh in favor of Rusk, working 1.2 innings, allowing five runs on three hits. Carson Knight also worked in relief, getting the final four outs.
The Roadrunners will return to action on Friday, welcoming No. 25 Old Dominion for a four-game series.
The Blazers struck first in the bottom of the first inning, plating three runs on three hits.
UTSA got a run back in the top of the second, getting a leadoff double from Lamb and after a single pushed him to third, Ian Bailey hung a sacrifice fly to score Lamb and cut the lead to 3-1.
The Blazers struck for two runs to take the lead to 5-1 with a two-run single from John Marc Mullins in the third.
UTSA clawed back in the top of the fourth, getting a leadoff single from Thornquist to open the frame. Paxton was then hit by a pitch and Lamb laid down a bunt single to load the bases. Tapia followed with a sacrifice fly out to centerfield, scoring Thornquist. Paxton came around to score on a wild pitch and Lamb motored around to score on a double from Barry.
The Roadrunners completed the comeback in the top of the sixth inning, getting a leadoff double from Tapia, who scored after Barry pounded his second double of the game off the wall in right-centerfield. Barry scored after Keng drilled a triple down the leftfield line, his second triple of the year. The rally continued as Gutierrez was hit by a pitch and Rock drew a walk to load the bases. Thornquist then drilled a no-doubt grand slam out to leftfield, his second grand slam in as many games, to take the lead to 10-5.
UAB immediately answered in the bottom of the sixth inning, getting a single from Mullins and a pinch-hit RBI double from Thomas Johns. Chandler Simpson followed with an RBI single to score J. Paul Fullerton, who pinch ran for Johns.
The Roadrunners took the lead to 11-7 after Barry smashed a line-drive homer over the wall in rightfield, his second of the year.
Fullerton homered out to rightfield, his third of the year, to cut the lead to 11-8 in the bottom of the seventh.
UTSA rallied for four runs in the eighth, chasing Greene and taking the lead to 15-8. Rock led off with a walk and motored to third on a double from Paxton. Lamb then lofted a sacrifice fly to shallow right, allowing Rock to score, and Tapia scored Paxton with a triple off the base of the wall in rightfield. Barry's fourth hit of the game came as a two-run single to left, scoring Tapia and Bailey.
UAB plated a run in the bottom of the eighth to narrow the lead to 15-9.
Thornquist cranked his second homer of the game with two outs in the ninth, giving him 10 blasts on the year, and taking UTSA's lead to 16-9.
UAB got five back in the ninth for the final margin, 16-14.
GAME NOTES: Freshman RHP Simon Miller made his eighth appearance and his fifth start … Junior SS Joshua Lamb extended his hitting streak to 11 games … Lamb has doubled 12 times in 2021 and 19 times in his career … Senior RHP Hunter Mason worked in his 16th game of the year and the 61st of his career … Senior 1B Griffin Paxton was hit by his eighth pitch of the year and the 15th of his career … Junior 3B Jonathan Tapia hung his fourth sac fly of the year and the ninth of his career … Sophomore LF Leyton Barry doubled for the fourth and fifth times in 2021 and has six in his career … Junior Chase Keng tripled for the second time in 2021 and the sixth time in his career … Junior 2B Shea Gutierrez was hit by his third pitch of the year and the fourth of his career … Senior C Nick Thornquist homered for the ninth time on the year and the 16th time in his career … Junior LHP Grant Miller worked in his 13th game of the year … Barry homered for the second time in 2021 and the fifth time in his career … Junior RHP Reece Easterling pitched in his eighth game of the year … Freshman RHP Daniel Garza pitched in his 10th game of the year … Lamb hung his seventh sacrifice fly of the year and the 10th of his career … Tapia tripled for the first time in 2021 and the third time in his career … Senior DH Ian Bailey was hit by his fourth pitch … Paxton doubled for the 13th time in 2021 and the 27th time in his career … Bailey stole his third base … Thornquist hit his second homer of the game and the 10th of 2021 … Thornquist has 17 homers in his career … Freshman RHP Shane Anderson worked in his fifth game … Sophomore RHP John Chomko pitched in his 10th game of the year and earned his first career save.
- UTSA -
