HOUSTON – The second-seeded Roadrunners dropped their opening game of the Conference USA Championships against No. 7 Middle Tennessee 5-1 on Wednesday afternoon at Reckling Park.

Matt King led the team with one RBI that came off a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning. The sophomore infielder had two hits on the Blue Raiders, extending his reached-base streak to 11 games.

  Middle Tennessee second baseman J.T. Marbry hit a home run only two pitches into the ballgame, setting the tone for their match against the Runners.

  After two scoreless innings from both teams, the Blue Raiders tacked on two runs to give themselves an 3-0 lead early. 

  Despite the slow start, King’s solo home run in the sixth inning made the score 3-1 with three at-bats remaining to prevent the upset.

  It wasn’t until the top of the eighth inning that Middle Tennessee added two more runs to extend its lead to four and to put the game out of UTSA’s reach.

  The ‘Runners will have a chance to work their way back through the loser’s bracket. The loss against the Blue Raiders hurts their RPI and brings it to 68, which means if they have any hopes of making the NCAA tournament, they will need to emerge as C-USA champions. 

  To qualify for the competition, UTSA will have to win five-straight conference games. In an attempt to enter the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2013, the Roadrunners will have to bounce back against the Charlotte 49ers. The elimination match takes place at 9 a.m. on Thursday, May 25, at Reckling Park.