SAN ANTONIO – A two-hour weather delay proved to be just what No. 22 UTSA needed in a 10-8 come-from-behind win over Rice on Saturday afternoon at Roadrunner Field.
QUICK HITS
- Antonio Valdez and Caleb Hill led the Roadrunners with three-hit games, for the second consecutive game. Valdez went 3-for-3 with three runs and an RBI, while Hill went 3-for-4 with a run and three RBI.
- Starting pitcher Drake Smith struck out a career-high seven batters in four innings of work.
- Daniel Garza earned his fifth win this season (5-1), recording three 1-2-3 frames with a pair of punchouts.
- Simon Miller earned his 11th save of the season, striking out one in the closer position.
- The Roadrunners improved to a 35-12 overall record (18-4 in C-USA action), while Rice fell to 17-29 overall (7-16 in conference play).
- With this series victory, UTSA has won all 11 of its full weekend series (three or four games).
- This win and DBU's loss today put the Roadrunners just half a game back from the Patriots in the race for the top spot in the Conference USA standings.
BREAKDOWN OF THE GAME
Rice took an early 5-0 lead, scattering five runs across the first two frames. With two outs in the top of the second, the game entered a weather delay with a 3-0 count to the Owls' Ben Royo that lasted two hours and 25 minutes.
Coming back from the break, starting pitcher D. Smith threw two straight strikes to work himself back in the count, before Royo hit a grounder to end the top of the second. The Roadrunners finally put up a run on the board in the bottom of the second as a double steal by Barry stealing second and King stealing home started some momentum.
A solo home run to open up the third extended Rice's lead to 6-1.
D. Smith kept the Owls off the board and struck out two in his final inning of work in the fourth. In the bottom of the frame, the Roadrunners went to work to get within a run of the Owls lead. A RBI single by Garrett Poston, RBI putout by Killeen and RBI single by Hill cut UTSA's deficit to 6-5.
Garza came in to relieve Smith in the fifth and worked quickly, forcing a three up, three down frame while using just seven pitches. He then forced his second consecutive 1-2-3 frame with a flyout, groundout and strikeout in the sixth.
In the bottom of the sixth, the Roadrunners worked well under pressure. After two quick outs to start the inning, a solo home run by Hill tied the game up at 6-6. Then, Matt King earned a four-pitch walk. After this, Valdez doubled and an error by the Owls' right fielder allowed King to score the go-ahead seventh run. A single up the middle by Sammy Diaz brought home Valdez to extend UTSA's lead to 8-6.
Garza continued to command the mound and recorded his third and final three up, three down frame in the seventh with three straight groundouts. In the bottom of the frame, a solo home run by Josh Killeen added some insurance to the Roadrunners' 9-6 advantage.
A two-run home run by the Owls in the top of the eighth caused tensions to rise as UTSA gripped onto a 9-8 lead. In the bottom of the frame, Valdez opened it up with his seventh triple of the season. A sacrifice fly by Leyton Barry a couple batters later drove in Valdez to make the score 10-8.
Miller forced a grounder to open the ninth with a quick out. Then, Rice hit a single to put a runner on. The next batter to come up hit a flyout to put two outs on the board. The Owls then hit a single to put two runners on. Just one more out to secure the victory, Miller threw two straight balls to the next batter. The junior continued to fight his way back though, then throwing three straight strikes to secure the third out in the 10-8 win over Rice.
ON DECK
The Roadrunners and Owls conclude the three-game series on Sunday at Roadrunner Field. First pitch is set for 1 p.m. (CT) at CUSA.tv.
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