SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA Baseball team completed a doubleheader Saturday sweep over UT Arlington at Roadrunner Field, composed of a 7-2 first game win and a 2-1 second game win courtesy of a walk-off single by sophomore Aiden Baumann.
QUICK HITS
· Baumann’s walk-off single in the second game of the doubleheader highlighted the Saturday sweep.
· In game one, Isaiah Walker led UTSA with a 2-for-3 showing, a double and a run, while Caleb Hill picked up one hit, two runs, one RBI, one double and two walks.
· In game two, Mason Lytle and Mark Henning both collected a pair of hits. Henning also scored both runs for UTSA in the 2-1 win.
· The mound presence was dominant for UTSA as the Roadrunners limited the Mavericks to just three runs on 13 hits in the two games.
· Sophomore game one starter Ruger Riojas (1-0) earned the win as he pitched 5.2 innings while striking out six batters and limiting UT Arlington to two runs.
· In game two, sophomore starter Zach Royse struck out six batters in six innings of work and kept the Mavericks to one run on three hits.
· Braylon Owens (1-0) earned the win in game two as he kept UT Arlington scoreless through the last three innings.
GAME ONE (7): UTSA 7, UTA 2
In a shortened seven-inning game, the Roadrunners and Mavericks went scoreless through the first two frames. Riojas forced a couple groundouts and a strikeout to start the game. In the bottom of the first, the Roadrunners put a couple of runners on the bases but were unable to score.
Riojas added a few more strikeouts and a groundout to his line during the second inning. On the other side of the inning, UTSA added the first hit to the scoreboard as Tye Odom hit a triple down the right field line with one out. A fielder’s choice that rejected scoring on the next play momentarily blocked the Roadrunners’ early momentum.
The Mavericks got momentum going with a few baserunners in the third, but the Roadrunners’ defense turned a double play soon after to get out of the inning unscathed. UTSA used the building pressure to get their own offense going in the bottom of the inning.
Walker got on base with a single before stealing second. Next batter up, Hill hit a double on a 2-1 count to bring around Walker and put the Roadrunners on the board. After this, Matt King earned a full-count walk to put two runners on. After a groundout, James Taussig singled to second base to drive in both Hill and King and extend UTSA’s lead to 3-0 before the end of the frame.
The fourth frame was a quick 1-2-3 spot on each side. In the fifth, the Mavericks got on the board as they loaded the bases then scored one on an error with no outs. UTSA added a few insurance runs in the bottom of the inning with a RBI single by King and a fielder’s choice that scored Hill.
UT Arlington continued to fight back in the sixth inning, adding another run, but the Roadrunners responded once again. With one out and bases loaded, King hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Broc Parmer, before Dalton Porter scored on a wild pitch in the next at-bat to extend UTSA’s lead to 7-2.
Ryan Ward locked down the Mavericks in the final inning with a strikeout looking and a couple of groundouts, ensuring the 7-2 win for UTSA’s first of the season.
GAME TWO: UTSA 2, UTA 1
The first inning saw a pair of zeros on the board. Royse forced a flyout, groundout and strikeout in the 1-2-3 frame. He then recorded another three up, three down frame in the second inning.
In the bottom of the frame, Henning and Taussig singled back-to-back on the first pitch to put two runners on. A few batters later, Hector Rodriguez saw an opportunity with two runners on, two outs and an 0-2 count. He launched a single to third base to drive in the first run of the game.
The third and fourth innings saw limited action as both teams were limited to just three base runners. The Mavericks knotted the score at 1-1 with a RBI single in the top of the fifth.
In the sixth inning, Royse struck out the side, including two swinging strikeouts. Coming into relieve Royse in the seventh frame, Owens picked up a couple strikeouts while keeping the Mavericks off the board. Both UTSA and UT Arlington got a few base runners in the eighth inning, but were unable to get home.
Owens used only eight pitches to sit the Mavericks down in the top of the ninth, putting the UTSA offense in a good position in the bottom of the frame.
In the bottom of the ninth, Henning opened it up with a double down the left field line on a 1-2 count. The next two batters lost their battle with the 1-2 count to put two outs on the board. The Roadrunners then turned to Baumann, who came in to pinch hit at the No. 7 spot with two outs and one runner in scoring position.
A test of patience, Baumann watched the first two pitches fall outside of the strike zone. He then saw a couple of strikes, swinging at the second. After watching another ball make it a full count, Baumann launched the sixth pitch down the right field line for a walk-off single as Henning came in to score from second and guided UTSA to a 2-1 win.
The Roadrunners improved to a 2-1 record, while the Mavericks fell to 1-2.
ON DECK
UTSA and UT Arlington will play the series finale on Sunday at 1 p.m. at Roadrunner Field.
-UTSA-