SAN ANTONIO — UTSA baseball suffered its second American Conference series loss of the season after losing to the University of Alabama at Birmingham 23-11 on Saturday at Roadrunner Field.
The Roadrunners (36-18, 17-9 American) led by one after a quick two-spot in the second inning that included sophomore infielder Jordan Ballin’s first collegiate home run. Junior infielder Diego Diaz registered his fourth home run of the weekend in the third, helping UTSA match pace with a Blazers’ (31-24, 15-12 American) offense that scored four runs in the top half of the inning. The Roadrunners were outscored 12-2 over the next two innings as Alabama-Birmingham began to expand its lead. UTSA scored four in the sixth, but the Blazers closed out the game in the eighth with a four-run frame to lock up the run-rule win.
Ballin’s two-run home run kick-started the Roadrunners’ offense in the second. Senior outfielder Drew Detlefsen doubled into deep center field, tacking on an extra run before the inning concluded.
In the third, Diaz brought in two more with a homer into deep left field. The Roadrunners’ third home run came from junior outfielder Lane Haworth in the fourth before Detlefsen notched his second RBI of the day in the fifth.
UTSA continued battling despite trailing by 11 entering the sixth. Sophomore utility Caden Miller sliced a three-run double into left-center field, and Detlefsen singled up the center of the diamond for his third RBI and the Roadrunners’ final score of the game.
UTSA used eight pitchers in its regular-season finale, but it was freshman Jake Qualia who received the loss for allowing four walks against six batters.
The Roadrunners, the No. 1 seed in the American Conference tournament, will open play Friday, with their opponent and start time contingent on Wednesday’s and Thursday’s results.
