SAN ANTONIO — UTSA baseball picked up its first series win of the season after defeating South Dakota State University 13-5 on Saturday at Roadrunner Field.
Trailing by two runs in the third inning, the Roadrunners (2-0) rattled off five runs in the bottom of the inning to take a firm lead over the Jackrabbits (0-2). UTSA entered double digits for the second straight game after adding five more runs in the fourth and fifth. Senior pitcher Gunnar Brown and freshman Jake Qualia allowed zero runs in the next five innings before senior James Hubbard allowed three runs in the top of the eighth. Hubbard ended the game with three consecutive strikeouts in the ninth.
“I felt good about tonight. I thought South Dakota State did a good job in the first couple innings. I’d probably tell you a different story if we didn’t win,” coach Pat Hallmark said after the game. “I was glad to see us have to face a little adversity. I felt like our team thought something was wrong. So, we had a team meeting and said ‘Look, they’re playing pretty good.’ They hit the ball and [junior pitcher]Connor Kelley wasn’t doing a lot wrong. Their kids were doing a good job. We settled in and started swinging the bat but we’re going to have to handle a lot of adversity, so having to do a little bit of that tonight is good.”
Facing a two run deficit, sophomore utility Caden Miller drove an RBI double down the left field line to put the Roadrunners on the board. Senior outfielder Drew Detlefsen brought in two with an RBI single into shallow right field before reaching home off a wild pitch from Jackrabbits pitcher Sam Schlecht. Sophomore infielder Josh Arquette closed out the inning with an RBI infield single, putting the ‘Runners up three.
UTSA added a pair of runs in the fourth off RBIs from junior outfielder Lane Haworth and freshman outfielder Nathan Johnson. Sophomore infielder Jordan Ballin picked up his first RBI of the season in the fifth with Detlefsen and Haworth adding two runs shortly after.
Freshman infielder Aidan Eschelman registered his first RBI of the season with a two out, first pitch RBI single into right field. Following a three run inning from South Dakota State, senior catcher Broc Parmer and sophomore utility Jacob Silva drove in UTSA’s final two runs of the night.
Arquette and Detlefsen spearheaded the UTSA offense with a team leading three hits and three RBIs, respectively.
“We’re in a really good spot,” Detlefsen said after the game. “We’re putting up a lot of hits and a lot of good at bats. I think the offense and the pitching is in a really good spot to continue this momentum.”
The UTSA pitching rotation combined for 14 strikeouts, 10 of which came from Kelley and Hubbard. Qualia picked up his first collegiate win after allowing zero runs, zero hits and tossing three strikeouts.
UTSA and South Dakota State will play their series finale at 1 p.m. Sunday at Roadrunner Field.
