WACO, Texas – The UTSA baseball team defeated the Big 12’s Baylor Bears by 9-7 on Tuesday night at Baylor Ballpark in Waco, Texas.
QUICK HITS
· Caleb Hill led the team as he went 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI. Two of his three hits were doubles – tied for the most doubles in a game this season.
· Mason Lytle also had a 3-for-5 performance with two runs, an RBI and one double.
· Alexander Olivo picked up two hits, two RBI and two walks, while Zane Spinn picked up two hits, a run and two RBI.
· Tye Odom’s three stolen bases in the game are the most on the team this season.
· The Roadrunners totaled five doubles, which is the most this season.
· Braylon Owens (2-1) earned the win, pitching two innings of shutout ball with two strikeouts.
· Ruger Riojas picked up his fourth save of the season. This is Riojas’ third consecutive appearance in which he has earned a save.
· UTSA improved to a 13-12 overall record, while Baylor now sits at an 8-16 record.
· This marks UTSA’s second consecutive win against Baylor.
BREAKDOWN OF THE GAME
The Roadrunners recorded four consecutive hits to start the first, getting on the board early. Hill started it off with a leadoff double, before scoring on a Lytle double. After this, a single by Olivo brought home Lytle to give UTSA a 2-0 advantage.
Davis forced a scoreless frame in the bottom of the first, which included a lineout, forceout and strikeout.
UTSA then added another run in the top of the second. Hill hit his second double in as many plate appearances, before he scored on Olivo’s second single in his second at-bat.
The Bears got on the board in a big five-run inning in the bottom of the second as Baylor took a 5-3 lead.
The Roadrunners responded as they scattered two runs across the third and fourth frames. With runners on the corners and one out in the third, Spinn hit a single through the left side to bring home Parmer. In the fourth, a flyout and error by the Bears’ defense allowed Lytle to score and knot the score at 5-5.
In the bottom of the third, Zach Longshore opened it up with a strikeout. He then allowed a double, but followed that with another punchout. The bases were then loaded via one walk and one hit by pitch, but Longshore forced a flyout to escape the jam unscathed.
The Bears regained the lead in the bottom of the fourth as an RBI double and sacrifice fly handed Baylor a 7-5 advantage. The Roadrunners responded in the top of the fifth as an RBI groundout made it a one-run game.
The sixth frame was the first scoreless frame on both sides. Owens forced a three up, three down inning with two flyouts and a strikeout.
A three-run seventh inning regained the lead for UTSA - the first lead for the Roadrunners since the top of the second. With runners on first and second and two outs, Hector Rodriguez delivered a clutch double down the right field line, driving home the two runners. After a pitching change by Baylor, Hill hit a single to left center on the first pitch he saw, This hit brought home Rodriguez to make the score 9-7, in favor of UTSA.
Owens, Fischer Kingsbery and Riojas combined to keep the Bears scoreless in the final three frames. Coming in to close the game, Riojas battled through a nine-pitch first at-bat to start the ninth and ultimately won with a strikeout looking. He then forced a groundout on the next batter, winning a 3-2 count. Riojas closed things out with a four-pitch swinging strikeout to lead UTSA to a 9-7 victory over Baylor.
ON DECK
The Roadrunners travel to New Orleans to face Tulane in a three-game conference series, opening it up on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. Game two is set for Friday at 6:30 p.m. and the series finale is Sunday at 12 p.m.
-UTSA-