WACO, Texas – The UTSA baseball team used a five-run fifth inning explosion to take down Baylor, 8-3, on Tuesday night at Baylor Ballpark.
Leyton Barry led the Roadrunners as he went 4-for-5 at the plate with a run, a RBI and a double. Shane Sirdashney, Caleb Hill and Josh Killeen each had two hits. Sirdashney also notched two runs, while Hill recorded two runs, two RBI and two doubles and Killeen collected a pair of RBI and a double. Starting pitcher Drake Smith earned his first win (1-0) as he allowed a run on three hits in three innings pitched while striking out two Bears. Daniel Shafer earned his first save as he fanned three and allowed a run on two hits in four innings of work.
The Bears opened up scoring in the bottom of the first to take a 1-0 lead. The Roadrunners struggled to read Baylor's starter Blake Rogers through the first three innings, only recording a single hit and going down in order in the second and third frames. UTSA found a rhythm and exploded for five runs in the fourth inning. Sirdashney and Barry opened up the inning with a single and double, respectively, to put two runners in scoring position. This brought up the Roadrunners clutch hitter Antonio Valdez to the plate. Valdez grounded out on the first pitch he saw, but drove in Sirdashsney for UTSA's first run of the game, tying the game at 1-1. Hill then doubled through the right side to bring home Barry to give UTSA a 2-1 lead.
After Matt King followed that with a double, Baylor had seen enough and made their first pitching change. Jared Matheson came into the game and immediately threw a wild pitch, which the Roadrunners took advantage of as King advanced to third and Hill scored on the wild pitch. Josh Killeen followed this with a sacrifice fly that scored King from third. Taylor Smith then doubled down the right field line. A couple wild pitches brought him home to give UTSA the 5-1 lead.
Fischer Kingsbery came in to the game in the bottom of the fourth to relieve D. Smith, sitting down the Bears in order with a groundout and two strikeouts. Baylor scattered a couple runs across the fifth and sixth innings to make the score 5-3, still in favor of UTSA. After allowing a home run in the sixth inning, Shafer settled in, keeping the Bears scoreless and only allowing one hit in the final three innings. The Roadrunners added a few more insurance runs in the eight and ninth innings. A single by Killeen through the left side drove in Hill for the UTSA's sixth run in the eighth inning.
After a fly out to start the ninth inning, Tye Odom hit a single to right field. Baylor then made a pitching change before two straight singles by Sirdashney and Barry plated Odom, thus ensuing another pitching change by the Bears. The Bears brought in their starting centerfielder Kobe Andrade to pitch. Valdez walked on four pitches, then Hill reached on a fielder's choice to drive in Sirdashney to give UTSA a 8-3 lead. Shafer sealed the deal as he sat down the Bears in order in the bottom of the frame with two strikeouts and a groundout, leading UTSA to an 8-3 victory over Baylor.
The Roadrunners improve to a 7-2 record, while Baylor falls to a 2-6 record.
ON DECK
The Roadrunners return home for a crosstown showdown matchup against UIW on Wednesday at Roadrunner Field. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. CT on CUSA.tv.
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