SAN ANTONIO – Luke Malone worked 7.2 one-run innings and UTSA pounded out 13 runs on 11 hits, posting a 13-3 series-opening win over No. 23 Charlotte on Friday night at Roadrunner Field.
UTSA (16-10, 3-4 Conference USA) won its third straight game and its second against a ranked foe, after opening the week with midweek wins at UIW and No. 11 TCU. UTSA has now won three straight games and two straight vs. ranked foes. The Roadrunners have faced three ranked teams so far on the year and are a clean 3-0 with the wins coming over No. 2 Stanford, No. 11 TCU and now No. 23 Charlotte.
The Roadrunners used three four-run innings in the win, plating four in the second, fourth and seventh innings to erupt for the rout. Charlotte hit a pair of homers in the seventh and eighth innings to cut into the final score.
Jonathan Tapia helped lead UTSA's offensive attack, driving in four runs on a three-hit game. UTSA also got two-hit games from Sammy Diaz – who hit his third homer of the year – and Leyton Barry, who scored three runs and drove in two runs off the bench. Seven Roadrunners collected hits in the win, including Shane Sirdashney, Matt King, Austin Ochoa and Chase Keng.
The Roadrunners started Malone (4-0) won his fourth game while keeping his league-leading ERA at 1.17. The Round Rock, Texas, native worked 7.2 innings, allowing six hits and one run, walking three and striking out six. It was his second outing of the week, also earning a one-inning save in extra innings at UIW on Tuesday.
With a 13-1 lead and two outs in the eighth, UTSA turned to Fischer Kingsbery for his fifth outing of the year. Kingsbery worked the final 1.1 innings to finish off the win.
Charlotte (17-8, 4-3 C-USA) starter Spencer Giesting (1-2) worked 3.1 innings, allowing six hits and eight runs – seven earned – walking four and striking out six. He was replaced in the fourth inning by Matt Brooks, who got the final two outs of the inning before giving way to Collin Kramer, a native of St. Ansgar, Iowa, who worked the fifth. Charlotte also used Anthony Casciola, who worked the final three innings with four runs allowed.
Diaz led off the bottom of the second inning with a solo homer, his third blast of the year, sent out over the leftfield fence. Isaiah Walker followed with a walk and King singled into leftfield, allowing Walker to motor to third. After an out, Chase Keng was hit by a pitch to load the bases for Tapia. Tapia singled up the middle, scoring Walker and King, and after the ball was misplayed in leftfield, Keng was able to score from first for a 4-0 lead.
UTSA added on in the fourth inning, getting a leadoff walk from King, who took third on a single into shallow rightfield. After a strikeout, Tapia smacked a two-strike, two-out single into rightfield to score King. After Ian Bailey's walk loaded the bases with one out, Ryan Flores hung a sacrifice fly into centerfield to score Leyton Barry, who pinch ran for Ochoa at third, making it 6-0. Shane Sirdashney then dropped a fly ball into rightfield that got lost in the lights, allowing Bailey and Tapia to score for an eight-run lead.
In the fifth, Keng hit into a three-base error on a dropped fly ball in leftfield, allowing Barry to score from first for a 9-0 lead.
Cam Fisher led off the seventh with his seventh home run of the year, a shot sent out to left-centerfield.
Diaz led off the seventh with a double and Garrett Poston followed with a full-count walk. King then reached on a fielder's choice with Poston safe at second on an error, loading the bases. Barry followed with a two-run single to score Diaz and Poston. Keng dropped a single into shallow leftfield to load the bases for Tapia, who forced home King with an RBI groundout. Bailey then forced home a run with a grounder, taking the lead to 13-1.
Jake Cunningham cut the lead to 13-3 with a two-run homer in the eighth, his seventh of the year.
Game Notes
- Luke Malone made his team-leading sixth start of the year and the eighth appearance of the year
- Malone has appeared in 29 games with 14 starts
- Malone is 4-0 in 2021 and 6-2 in his career
- Jonathan Tapia doubled for the 11th time in 2022 and the 28th time in his career
- Tapia has a team-high seven-game hitting streak
- Diaz doubled for the fourth time and has now reached base safely in 19 straight games
- Chase Keng was hit by his first pitch of the year and the sixth of his career
- Shane Sirdashney stole his third base of the year and the 10th of his career
- Ryan Flores hung his fourth sacrifice fly of the year
- Fischer Kingsbery worked in his fifth game of the year and the 12th of his career
Friday Notes
Home Runs
UTSA: Sammy Diaz (3)
Charlotte: Cam Fisher (7)
WP – Luke Malone (4-0): 7.2 IP, 6 hits, 1 run, 3 walks, 6 strikeouts
SV – N/A
LP – Spencer Giesting (1-2): 3.1 IP, 6 hits, 8 runs (1 unearned), 4 walks, 6 strikeouts
Up Next
UTSA will be back in action tomorrow as the Roadrunners will look to take a commanding 2-0 series lead over No. 23 Charlotte. Tomorrow's game against No. 23 Charlotte will begin at 2 p.m. and will be streamed on CUSA TV.
- UTSA -