SAN ANTONIO — UTSA baseball scored a whopping 14 runs in the bottom of the fifth en route to a 22-10 run-rule win over the University of the Incarnate Word on Tuesday at Roadrunner Field.
The Roadrunners (30-14, 12-6 American) trailed 8-2 after the second inning — and they took that personally. UTSA went on to outscore Incarnate Word (18-24, 8-16 Southland) 20-2 over the next four innings, turning what would have been another disappointing midweek loss into a blowout in the Roadrunners’ favor. The Cardinals used nine pitchers on Tuesday, but none had an answer for UTSA’s offense. Incarnate Word was held scoreless in the final two frames, resulting in a run-rule loss.
“We swung the bat well,” coach Pat Hallmark said after the game. “UIW is good. We talked about that before the game. They’re going to get hits. You’re not going to stop them from hitting. I don’t care who is pitching – a healthy [junior pitcher] Robert Orloski or [junior pitcher] Connor Kelley. We talked about it. It’s, ‘What are you going to do after they get hits? Can you keep throwing strikes?’ I’m mostly proud of us.”
After an Incarnate Word five-spot in the opening inning’s top half, junior outfielder Lane Haworth and sophomore utility Jacob Silva put two runs on the board. The Cardinals extended their lead with three runs in the second, before UTSA added four of its own in the third.
Haworth picked up his first home run before sophomore infielder Josh Arquette notched a groundout RBI. Sophomore infielder Jordan Ballin and sophomore utility Caden Miller closed out the third with a pair of RBI singles.
Incarnate Word scored its final two runs in the top of the fifth, setting the stage for a fireworks show in the bottom half of the inning.
Arquette homered on the first pitch of the inning. Two hits and an error loaded the bags before Miller singled for the second score of the inning. Senior outfielder Drew Detlefsen picked up an RBI hit-by-pitch, and Haworth walked to bring the inning’s run total to four. Sophomore outfielder Christian Hallmark was awarded first on a catcher’s interference, scoring Detlefsen. On the next at-bat, Arquette scored three with a double down the left field line. Ballin, Detlefsen, Haworth and Miller combined for six RBIs before the inning ended, highlighted by Haworth’s second slam of the night.
“It’s really fun, especially when everyone is hitting,” Haworth said. “It’s really easy to hit when the lineup’s rolling over. It was a good win, especially with the wind blowing out. It was fun.”
Senior infielder Cade Sadler capped off the Roadrunners’ scoring for the night with a two-run slam into left field, his second in four days.
UTSA’s rotation combined to allow 10 hits, nine earned runs, four walks while tossing nine strikeouts. The Roadrunners tallied 20 hits in 36 at-bats. Arquette and Haworth led the team in RBIs with five apiece; Ballin led in hits with four.
UTSA will host Wichita State University for its seventh American Conference series of the season. Game one is slated for 6 p.m. Friday at Roadrunner Field.
