SAN ANTONIO – Tarleton State Baseball fell short to the Roadrunners in their final meeting just before starting conference play.
Tarleton State (9-5, 0-0 WAC) suffered a 21-4 loss to the UTSA Roadrunners (7-6, 0-0 AAC) in their second meeting of the 2024 season.
In the first matchup between the Roadrunners and the Texans, Tarleton State secured a win with a walk-off grand slam to close out the home opener for the Purple and White. In Wednesday's meeting, UTSA was a force to be reckoned with at the plate with four doubles and four home runs, with a 21-4 final. Tarleton State tallied four runs on seven hits.
Devon Patel took the start for the Texans, giving up two runs on three hits, no walks and one strikeout in 1.0 inning pitched. Freshman
Spencer Hatch (L, 0-1) took the loss for Tarleton State with 0.2 inning pitched, giving up six runs on four hits, no walks and one strikeout. The Purple and White saw several pitchers take the mound for the first time this season, including
Dominic Corgiat,
Tyler Sudderth,
Tyler Olson, and
Ethan Campos.
Ryan Beaird started on the bump for the home team with 1.1 innings pitched, giving up four runs on five hits, no walks and three strikeouts. Fischer Kingsbery claimed the win for UTSA with 1.2 innings pitched, giving up no runs, no hits, no walks and four strikeouts.
The Roadrunners came out swinging with a homer planted over the right field wall from their leadoff hitter to tally the first run for UTSA. The two-hole saw a homer over the center field wall for their second and final run of the inning.
Tarleton State brought the heat in the top of the second for their biggest inning of the game.
Trace Morrison was the first runner on for the visiting team, when a single up the middle from
Cris Enriquez saw Morrison take second.
Sergio Guerra was next in the box and singled to right field to bring Morrison home and put Tarleton State on the board.
Slade McCloud singled up the middle to bring in Enriquez and a single to right field saw the runners advance, with Guerra and McCloud coming home for the Purple and White to give the Texans the lead, 4-2.
After the top of the second, it was all UTSA with seven runs in the second, five runs in the third, two runs in the fourth, three runs in the fifth and two in the eighth to see the Roadrunners up by 17 for a 21-4 final in favor of the home team.
Tarleton State Baseball will be back in action at home Friday at 6 p.m. for the start of a weekend series as the Texans will host the Wildcats of Abilene Christian to kickstart conference play.
