CLEARWATER, Fla. – On Friday, UTSA Baseball commenced its stay at the American Baseball Championship. The Roadrunners utilized two spectacular showings on the mound from Conor Myles and Connor Kelley, shutting down fifth-seeded Memphis by a score of 4-0. The duo combined for 12 strikeouts and allowed just five hits as the Navy & Orange advanced to a heavyweight bout with East Carolina on Saturday morning.
FIRST INNING
Freshly-anointed American Conference Pitcher of the Year Conor Myles earned the nod from Head Coach Pat Hallmark, making his 13th start of the spring. The graduate retired the side without a hit, picking up his first strikeout in the process. A pair of walks went unsupported in the bottom half as UTSA stranded a pair and remained in a scoreless tie.
THIRD INNING
A walk and a single placed runners at the corners with one away for Memphis. First-team all-conference catcher Andrew Stucky gunned down a Tiger before a swinging miss sent the ‘Runners back to the plate. The second pitch of the frame went to Aidan Eshelman, who ripped a double down the line in left field. With one out, the American Player of the Year Drew Detlefsen returned for his second trip to the batter’s box. The senior then sent a double of his own into the left-center gap, plating the freshman for the first run of the game.
FOURTH INNING
Myles retired the side in order on just 11 pitches, adding another strikeout along the way. A two-out Jordan Ballin single set the stage for Christian Hallmark, who lifted a 1-2 pitch into the right-center gap for a double. Ballin made his 270-foot trip home on the hit, doubling UTSA’s lead for a 2-0 edge through four.
SIXTH INNING
After striking out the side in the fifth, Myles returned for his final batter. A leadoff walk marked the end of the graduate’s outing as Connor Kelley trotted out of the bullpen. The junior struck out the first Tiger he saw and wasted little time putting another zero on the scoreboard. With one down in the home half, Jacob Silva dropped a ball just inside the right-field foul line, making his way around for a triple. Jordan Ballin sent an ensuing offering high to the left fielder, scoring the designated hitter on a sacrifice fly to pull ahead by three.
SEVENTH INNING
Two more Tigers went down on strikes as Kelley posted a 1-2-3 inning to quickly cue his offense once again. Caden Miller was hit by a pitch before a Lane Haworth walk put two aboard for Stucky. The senior laced a single past the first baseman’s glove as both runners were going, sending Miller all the way around for UTSA’s fourth run of the afternoon.
NINTH INNING
A one-out error was followed up by an infield single, placing two aboard for the Tigers. The next two batters each went down with little resistance, forcing a game-sealing popout to Jordan Ballin with a final score of 4-0.
NUMBERS OF NOTE
- Conor Myles finished his 5.0-inning day with just two hits allowed.
- The junior matched his season high of eight strikeouts as the Tigers were held scoreless against the graduate.
- UTSA improved to 7-3 all-time against Memphis, climbing to 1-0 in neutral contests.
- The ‘Runners picked up their third-ever win in the American Conference Championship, jumping to 3-4 since their debut in 2024.
- Jacob Silva’s sixth-inning triple was his second of the season, marking his first since March 17 at Houston Christian.
- UTSA improved to 32-12 when drawing at least four walks, tallying five on Friday.
- Drew Detlefsen notched two hits on Friday, boosting his season total to 94. The senior is five away from tying the program single-season record of 99, which was set by Michael Rockett in 2009.
- The ‘Runners picked up the win without a single member recording multiple runs scored or RBIs.
UP NEXT
On Saturday, the league’s top two seeds will clash for a spot in Sunday’s championship game. Second-seeded East Carolina awaits UTSA, with first pitch slated for 9 a.m. CT (10 a.m. local). The loser of the matchup will turn around and play later on Saturday evening with their season on the line. All the action from BayCare Ballpark will be streamed live on ESPN+ and available via utsa.statbroadcast.com ahead of the title bout on ESPNEWS.
-UTSA-