The UTSA baseball orange team defeated the blue team 7-3 in a seven inning bout on Saturday at Roadrunner Field.
After sparring all throughout Fall camp, the climactic conclusion of the team’s hard work would come in the form of the Fall World Series. While winning is always encouraged, the point of the series is to see how the team has progressed up to this point. Coach Pat Hallmark returns to the diamond for the first time since spring as he tries to gauge his team’s strengths and weaknesses.
“We’re trying to play good defense,” Hallmark said. “Today was not perfect defense but it was acceptable defense, that’s been the theme this fall. We’ve pitched well, we’ve hit a little bit up-and-down but that’s just the nature of hitting. We are trying to improve on defense.”
Both teams rolled out returning players on the mound. Team blue started senior pitcher Conor Myles and team orange sent out senior pitcher Braylon Owens.
“Braylon Owens looks good,” Hallmark said of who stood out to him throughout the fall. “We’re going to need him.”
Team orange drew first blood in the top of the first inning and took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second with a solo home run from senior catcher Lorenzo Morresi.
Team blue responded in the bottom of the second with an RBI single from senior catcher Andrew Stucky, who was brought in a few plays later to tie the game up at 2-2.
Senior utility Broc Parmer blew the game open with a two-run home run. An RBI double from junior utility James Taussig added a few more runs and team orange exited the top of the fourth with a 7-2 lead.
Both teams held each other scoreless for the ensuing three innings. Team blue’s last attempt at a comeback came in the bottom of the seventh.
Junior outfielder Tye Odom sliced an RBI single through the right side of the infield to cut the orange team’s lead down to four.
With 2023 first team all-conference outfielder Mason Lytle up to bat with two outs, team blue was hoping for some late-game magic.
Lytle popped the ball up into the catcher’s mitt for the final out as he threw his bat into the turf in frustration.
Tensions flared after the conclusion of the inning, but things calmed down quickly after Hallmark called for a team meeting.
“Some of the players take this pretty seriously,” Hallmark said of his team’s intensity. “They don’t like losing and it gets a little chirpy sometimes. We’re all a little competitive. There’s a certain line you don’t want to cross and I don’t think they crossed it. We’re competitive people and if you’re going to over-achieve you’re going to need competitive people.”
UTSA baseball will next face Navarro College at 2 p.m. Friday at Roadrunner Field.
