Trying to rebound after a so-so opening series against UT-Arlington, the Roadrunners failed to redeem themselves against the Tarleton State Texans (2-2). A walk-off grand slam was the cherry on top of a nightmarish road performance as the ‘Runners fell 14-10 on Tuesday night at the Tarleton Baseball Complex.
Sometimes high expectations are warranted, sometimes they are not. Any team who collapses in the postseason after getting fans’ hopes up throughout the course of a full season does not deserve the benefit of the doubt, just ask Dallas Cowboys fans. Although UTSA baseball (2-3) is just five games into the new season, identifying the signs early can help you prepare for the road ahead.
Before you could blink, the Roadrunners trailed 8-2 after four innings. UTSA responded in the top of the sixth with junior utility player James Taussig knocking through an RBI single up the middle of the field to bring in two runners. Junior utility Broc Parmer followed Taussig with a home run over the left-field wall to bring in another pair, shortening the deficit 8-6.
The Roadrunners took control of the game in the seventh inning, bringing in four more runs. Senior infielder Alexander Olivo picked up an RBI single to tie the game before RBIs from Taussig and Parmer pushed UTSA overtop the Texans 10-8.
In an ideal world for the ‘Runners, the rotation remains steady and UTSA heads to the Sugar Land Classic with a winning record. Sadly, that world does not exist.
Tarleton State managed two runs in its next at-bat to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh inning. A scoreless eighth inning wound up setting the stage for a thrilling conclusion.
Allowing two singles and a walk in the ninth, the ‘Runners were facing loaded bases with no outs. Any hopes of a miracle were mercilessly put to rest by a bomb over the center field wall from Texans junior designated hitter Brandon Howell, sealing UTSA’s 14-10 loss.
There is a ton of work to be done within this mostly new Roadrunner squad, seeming to lack an identity along with inconsistency continuing to plague the team. The road will only get rougher from here, so in order to be competitive, head coach Pat Hallmark will have to find a fix — and fast.
UTSA will next face Stephen F. Austin at 3 p.m. Friday at Constellation Field.
