SAN ANTONIO — In the moments following UTSA baseball’s 19-4 win over Texas State University, coach Pat Hallmark and a member of the Texas State staff engaged in a physical altercation.
The Bobcats (31-22, 13-14 Sun Belt) and the Roadrunners’ (35-17, 16-8 American) coaching staffs met at home plate after the game, discussing whether or not senior pitcher James Hubbard was intentionally trying to hit Texas State batters. During the discussion, an unnamed Texas State assistant coach allegedly “put hands” on Hallmark, prompting Hallmark to shove the coach in retaliation. Both teams engaged in a shouting match before eventually being split up, capping off a fiery end to an otherwise uncompetitive rivalry matchup.
“I don’t know what happened with Hubbard. I guess they didn’t like it,” Pat Hallmark explained. “We were talking about it, and their assistant coach put his hands on me. So, I put my hands back on him. I hope the video is available so everyone can see he put his hands on me first. I’m not going to let him put his hands on me.
“I don’t even know [the assistant coach’s] name. You can print that, too. I don’t even know his name, but he put his hands on me, and I’m going to defend myself. Print it all.”
Before the scrum, the Roadrunners pieced together one of their best offensive performances of the season.
Sophomore infielder Josh Arquette reached on an error from Texas State infielder Chase Mora for the Roadrunners’ first score of the game. On the next play, graduate catcher Andrew Stucky scored unearned; senior outfielder Drew Detlefsen added a run with a sacrifice fly. Sophomore infielder Jordan Ballin and freshman infielder Aidan Eschelman added two RBIs before sophomore utility Caden Miller closed out the inning with a two-run slam into deep left field.
The Bobcats scored their first run of the night in the top of the second. UTSA responded with three runs. Eschelman picked up his second RBI of the night before senior outfielder Drew Detlefsen scored Ballin with a bases-loaded hit by pitch. Texas State pitcher Alec Beversdorf misfired on the ensuing pitch, allowing Eschelman to score.
Sophomore outfielder Christian Hallmark kicked off the bottom of the third with a two-RBI single. Eschelman followed up the score with an RBI single down the right-field line; Stucky capped off the inning with a two-RBI single.
Ballin, Eschelman and Miller added three insurance runs in the fourth as the Roadrunners held the Bobcats to just one run across the final three innings.
UTSA used seven pitchers against Texas State, allowing just one earned run. Junior pitcher Kendall Dove picked up the win after allowing four hits and one run, while stranding three runners across 1.2 innings.
“I’m very proud of Dove going out there and throwing strikes to get us out of that first inning,” Pat Hallmark said after the game. “We were fortunate to get out of it without a run. After that, we played good ball.”
Eschelman set career highs in hits (3) and RBIs (4) in the Roadrunners’ win over Texas State.
“I definitely need [this performance], especially after last week,” Eschelman.
UTSA will host the University of Alabama at Birmingham for the rights to an American Conference regular season championship with game one set for 6 p.m. Thursday at Roadrunner Field.
