SAN ANTONIO – Chase Keng, Griffin Paxton and Nick Thornquist each drilled homers, and three pitchers combined to throw a two-hit shutout to lead UTSA to a doubleheader-sweep clinching 11-0 win over No. 19 Old Dominion in a seven-inning game on Saturday evening at Roadrunner Field.
UTSA (21-20, 13-13 Conference USA) took a 2-1 lead in the four-game series with Old Dominion, who entered the Saturday twinbill with the nation's No. 14 RPI. UTSA fell in the opener on Friday, 14-11, despite rallying from an 11-run hole to force a save scenario for the Monarchs. UTSA kept the offense rolling in the opener of the Saturday doubleheader, cranking a pair of homers and scoring 12 runs over 14 hits in a 12-10 win.
The Roadrunners collected took control of the nightcap early, scoring two in the second, five in the third and two in the fourth and sixth innings. UTSA belted three home runs in the nightcap, scoring 11 runs on 13 hits.
UTSA's pitching took center stage in the doubleheader finale, as three hurlers combined to allow just two ODU hits in the win, taking a no-hitter into the sixth inning as UTSA was seeking just the second no-hitter in program history and its first since a six-inning run-rule win in 1992. ODU broke the no-hit bid with a two-out double in the sixth and added a two-out single in the seventh.
UTSA starter Jacob Jimenez (2-2) turned in a career-best outing, working three shutout innings, allowing just a walk and tying his career high with three strikeouts. With a seven-run lead to open the fourth, UTSA turned to lefty Grant Miller in relief. Miller worked 1.2 innings, allowing a hit batter and a walk, striking out three. With a pair on and two outs in the fifth, UTSA turned to righty Hunter Mason for his 17th outing of 2021.
A product of Boerne Champion High School, Mason worked the final 2.1 innings, allowing just two hits with a season-high six strikeouts and no walks.
The Roadrunners got three-hit games from Paxton and Leyton Barry. Paxton – who homered in the opener on Saturday – hit his seventh homer of the year in a 3-for-4 game. Keng went 1-for-3 with his seventh blast of the year and Thornquist – who has homered in three of the last four games and has four blasts over the stretch – cranked his 12th of the year in a two-hit effort.
UTSA also got hits from Dylan Rock, Joshua Lamb, Shea Gutierrez and Jonathan Tapia. Lamb stretched his hitting streak to 14 games.
Three Roadrunners homered & three more combined on the two-hit shutout of No. 19 ODU to clinch the twinbill sweep.
— UTSA Baseball ⚾️ (@UTSABSB) May 9, 2021
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Old Dominion (32-13, 18-9 C-USA) starter Hunter Gregory (6-2) – a contender for C-USA Pitcher of the Year – came into the start with a 2.15 ERA, second-best in the league. Gregory worked 3.2 innings, allowing 10 hits and nine runs, striking out four. Lefty Joey DeChiaro came on in relief in the fourth, working through four outs before giving way to Luke Vaks.
The series will conclude on Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Roadrunners struck first in the bottom of the second inning, getting a leadoff single from Barry. After a pair of outs, Gutierrez singled in the hole on the left side, with the attempt to nail the runner at second sailing into rightfield, allowing Barry to move to third. The throw to third sailed down the leftfield line, with Barry scoring and Gutierrez moving into scoring position on the second error of the play. Tapia then scored Gutierrez with a single through the left side for a 2-0 lead.
UTSA added a pair in the bottom of the third, starting with a leadoff homer from Paxton, laced out to left-centerfield, his seventh homer of the year. Thornquist then legged out a one-out double and scored after Barry's RBI single into centerfield. Lamb followed with a single through the left side that allowed Barry to take third. Keng then rifled a three-run homer into left-centerfield, his seventh of the year, to take the lead to 7-0.
Paxton singled with one out in the fourth, scoring after Rock painted a double down the leftfield line. Rock came around to score after Barry hit into a fielding error on the right side, making it 9-0.
Paxton singled to leadoff the sixth and Thornquist scored him with a monster home run out to leftfield, his 12th of the year.
GAME NOTES: Junior RHP Jacob Jimenez worked in his fifth game of 2021 and made his third start … Jimenez has worked in nine games in his career with five starts … Jimenez set new career highs in innings (three) and tied his career high in strikeouts (three) … Junior LHP Grant Miller worked in his 15th game … Senior RHP Hunter Mason worked in his 17th game of the year and the 62nd of his career … Senior 1B Griffin Paxton has reached base safely in 37 of his 40 starts in 2021 … Paxton has reached base safely in 100 of 110 career starts … Paxton has homered seven times in 2021 and twice on Saturday … Junior 3B Jonathan Tapia has reached base safely in 31 of 37 starts in 2021 … Tapia has made starts at second (18), third (15), shortstop (one), leftfield (two) and rightfield (one) in 2021 … Tapia has reached base safely in 94 of 115 career starts … Senior 1B Griffin Paxton has reached base safely in 37 of his 40 starts in 2021 … Paxton has reached base safely in 100 of 110 career starts … Paxton has homered seven times in 2021 and twice on Saturday … Senior C Nick Thornquist has reached base safely in 19 consecutive games … Thornquist has reached base safely in 39 of 41 starts in 2021 … Thornquist has reached base safely in 82 of 95 career starts …Thornquist has eight doubles on the year and 29 in his career … Thornquist homered for the 12th time in 2021 and the 19th time in his career … Junior SS Joshua Lamb has a 14-game hitting streak … Lamb has reached base safely in 38 of 41 games in 2021 … Lamb has reached base safely in 94 of 115 career starts … Junior DH Chase Keng homered for the seventh time in 2021 and the 10th time in his career … Junior CF Dylan Rock has reached base safely in 19 straight games … Rock has reached base safely in 37 of 40 starts in 2021 … Rock has reached base safely in 148 of 162 career starts … Rock has 202 career hits … Rock has 44 career doubles and 11 in 2021 … Rock ranks 12th in UTSA history with 44 career doubles … Sophomore LF Leyton Barry doubled for the sixth time in 2021 and the seventh time in his career … UTSA leads the all-time series with ODU, 12-10 and 7-5 in games played in San Antonio … UTSA has three wins over ranked foes in 2021.
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