FORT WORTH – Josh Killeen and Isaiah Walker each cranked home runs and Jonathan Tapia drove in three runs, leading UTSA baseball to a 12-8 win at No. 11 TCU, on Wednesday at Lupton Stadium.
Walker, a freshman out of Rosharon, Texas, homered for the third time on the year, while Killeen, a sophomore backstop out of San Antonio's Reagan High School, belted his second homer of the season. The duo helped lead a UTSA offense that scored 12 runs on nine hits with 11 walks. Tapia went 3-for-4 with three RBI at the top of the order, while Austin Ochoa scored four runs, notching his first triple of the year.
UTSA also got hits and RBI from Ian Bailey, who drove in two runs, Ryan Flores and Sammy Diaz. Kody Darcy and Shane Sirdashney each scored runs.
The win marked the second in as many days as the Roadrunners are in the midst of a five-game week that features games against four ranked foes. UTSA posted a 10-inning win at UIW on Tuesday and will host red-hot No. 23 Charlotte on Friday-Saturday-Sunday at Roadrunner Field.
It was UTSA's second win over a ranked foe in as many tries on the year as UTSA – who played a school-record number of games against ranked foes in 2021 – also toppled No. 2 Stanford on Feb. 28 in San Antonio.
UTSA (15-10) started freshman righthander Ryan Beaird against the Horned Frogs. Beaird pitched for one inning and allowed three hits and two runs. Ryan Ward took over in the bottom of the second, earning the win with 2.1 innings, allowing just a run. Grant Miller recorded two outs, before Ulises Quiroga got four outs. Simon Miller worked two innings, allowing two runs with three strikeouts, and Braylon Owens closed the door with the final five outs, allowing a run and fanning three.
TCU (18-7) starter Connor Oliver (0-1) worked 1.1 innings, allowing four runs in the loss. TCU alos used Caleb Bolden, Garrett Wright, Storm Hierholzer, Augie Mihlbauer, Drew Hill, River Ridings and Tommy Vail in the loss.
In the top of the first inning, the Roadrunners loaded the bases early as they began with a Tapia double. A couple walks later and the bases were loaded with one out. Diaz hit a sacrifice fly to score Tapia and put the Roadrunners on the board first.
TCU regained the lead in the bottom of the frame as it put two on the board. TCU third baseman Brayden Taylor started things off with a double and was brought home following a David Bishop triple. The very next batter, Gray Rodgers, singled to right field to plate Bishop and make the score 2-1 TCU.
In the top of the second and his team down a run, Killeen led off the inning with a solo shot to left-center field to tie things up at two apiece. Following a TCU error and a walk, the Roadrunners found themselves with two on. A Tapia single would score one and allow the Roadrunners to retake the lead, 3-2. UTSA would load the bases with one out and Sirdashney at the plate. Sirdashney hit a sac fly to left field to score Darcy and make things 4-2.
In the top of the third the Roadrunners again struck right away with a leadoff solo shot, this time from freshman Isaiah Walker. Walker's third homer on the year made it a 5-2 game. Following the solo homerun, Killeen drew a walk and was sent home following an Ochoa RBI triple. With Ochoa on third, Tapia stepped up and double down the leftfield line to score the Roadrunner second baseman. At the end of the inning, UTSA found itself with a five run lead, leading 7-2.
The Horned Frogs got a run back in the bottom of the fourth inning. TCU got their first runner, Luke Boyers, on thanks to a four-pitch walk. Boyers was able to advance to second off a TCU groundout. A Logan Maxwell single then scored Boyers to bring the Horned Frogs back within four, 7-3.
UTSA used a mini two-out rally in the fifth inning, as Ochoa and Tapia both drew walks to give UTSA two baserunners. Ian Bailey stepped up to the plate and hammered a double to deep left-centerfield which scored both to make it a 9-3 UTSA lead. Right after Bailey's double, Flores smacked a single to centerfield to score Bailey and put UTSA up seven, 10-3.
TCU cut into the Roadrunner lead in the sixth inning. TCU began the inning with a Boyers walk. A Bobby Goodloe double down the right field line scored Boyers and the score was 10-4. Goodloe was able to advance to third off of UTSA wild pitch. Goodloe then came home when Maxwell grounded out. After six, UTSA led 10-5.
In the top of the seventh, UTSA got another run across after a Tapia sacrifice fly. The sac fly scored Ochoa who was on base after being hit by a pitch and advanced to third off of a TCU error.
UTSA added a twelfth run in the eighth inning. With runners on first and second, Walker hit into a fielder's choice in which everyone reached. The TCU catcher attempted to get the runner moving to third but overthrew the third baseman resulting in an error as Sirdashney scored.
In the bottom half of the eighth, TCU was able to add three runs to their tally and pull within four. The scoring started with a Maxwell sac fly. Then, with a runner on, Brayden Taylor crushed a two-run homerun to rightfield to make the score 12-8.
The two teams were scoreless in the ninth and the game would end with UTSA earning a 12-8 victory.
Wednesday Notes
Home Runs
UTSA: Josh Killeen (2), Isaiah Walker (3)
TCU: Brayden Taylor (4)
WP – Ryan Ward (1-0): 2.1 IP, 0 hits, 1 run, 2 walks, 1 strikeout
SV – N/A
LP – Connor Oliver (0-1): 1.1 IP, 3 hits, 4 runs (2 unearned), 4 walks, 1 strikeout
Up Next
UTSA will be back in action this weekend as the Roadrunners will play a home series for the first time in two weeks. The Roadrunners will be hosting No. 23 Charlotte over the April 1st weekend at Roadrunner Field and all games will be streamed on CUSA.tv.
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