SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA baseball team used three triples and two home runs to power past Utah , 11-5, on Saturday afternoon at Roadrunner Field.
Starting pitcher Ulises Quiroga earned the win (2-0), allowing four runs on five hits while fanning three in six innings pitched. Simon Miller relieved Quiroga with two perfect frames in the seventh and eighth innings. Antonio Valdez led the Roadrunners, going 4-for-6 at the plate with three runs, two RBI and a home run. Matt King tied the program record with two triples in the game, the first time this has been done since Casey Selsor in the 2012 season. Paired with Caleb Hill's triple, the Roadrunners also tied the program record with three team triples. The last time UTSA hit three triples in a game was April 1, 2011.
The Utes put up four runs in the top of the first to take an early 4-0 lead. The Roadrunners responded with a run in the bottom of the inning as Shane Sirdashney scored on a groundout. After a tough first frame, Quiroga settled in through the rest of his outing as he allowed just two hits to the Utes from the second to the sixth inning.
After a scoreless second inning, UTSA began to fight back to tie the score in the third inning. Sirdashney opened the bottom of the third as he reached base on a fielding error by the Utes, before Barry worked a full-count walk. Next up to bat was the Roadrunners' clutch hitter Valdez. After watching the first pitch land outside of the zone, he unleashed on the next one to send it flying over the wall in right center for a three-run home run, his first home run of the season, tying up the game at 4-4.
Quiroga went to work on the opposite side of the ball, sitting down Utah's batters in order in the top of the fourth with a foul out, fly out and line out. In the bottom of the frame, the Roadrunners' hot bats kept the momentum going. After a strikeout to start the bottom of the fourth, Barry once again earned a walk from a full pitch count. Valdez then singled to put runners on first and second. King then came up to bat and launched the first pitch he saw to right field for a triple, driving in Barry and Valdez. Hill then singled through the right side to bring home King and give UTSA a 7-4 lead.
The fifth inning went scoreless as Quiroga shut down the Utes on a double play, after an inning-opening single, and a fly out. The Roadrunners got a couple of runners on base in the bottom of the inning but were unable to do anything with them. UTSA tacked on another run for an 8-4 lead in the bottom of the sixth as Hill tripled to right center and scored on a throwing error by the Utes' second baseman.
Miller came in to relieve Quiroga in the seventh inning, forcing a 1-2-3 inning with two groundouts and a strikeout. The Roadrunners added another run to their lead as King tripled to right field and drove in Valdez. Miller had another three-up, three-down inning in the eighth as he got two Utes swinging and another lining out. In the bottom of the eight, Taylor Smith came up to bat with one out and one runner on. He watched the first two balls fall outside the strike zone, before swinging and missing at the next two. Smith continued to battle as he fouled off another pitch and watched another ball. With a 3-2 count, Smith sent a no-doubter to right field for a two-run bomb to give UTSA an 11-4 advantage.
Fischer Kingsbery entered in to close down the final inning. Although he allowed a run on three hits, he was able to contain the Utes as UTSA finalized the 11-5 victory over Utah to even the series at 1-1.
The Roadrunners improve to a 9-3 record, while Utah falls to a 5-5 overall record.
ON DECK
The Roadrunners and Utes go face-to-face for the rubber game on Sunday. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. CT at Roadrunner Field.
-UTSA-
