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Baseball

Malone works nine innings in relief as UTSA claims C-USA Tourney opener

HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- First-team All-Conference USA starting pitcher Luke Malone worked nine innings in relief to lead UTSA to a 6-4 win for No. 5 seeded UTSA over No. 4 seeded Florida Atlantic, in the first round of the Conference USA Championships, hosted by Southern Miss at Pete Taylor Park on Thursday morning.
 
UTSA (36-19) used the gutsy outing from Malone and a two-run eighth to separate from a 4-4 game and secure the first-round win. The Roadrunners were slated to play on Wednesday night in the first round vs. Florida Atlantic (34-21) but weather delays forced a postponement to Thursday morning.
 
The Roadrunners will now advance to face top-seeded and host Southern Miss (42-14) on Friday at 10 a.m. at Pete Taylor Park on ESPN+. Southern Miss won the nightcap on Wednesday with a 4-3 result over No. 8 seed UAB. The Roadrunners won the series opener at Southern Miss on May 13 before falling in the final two games in Hattiesburg to the eventual league champions.
 
UTSA bounced back after allowing two runs in the bottom of the first inning to the Owls, who took advantage of a pair of walks to open the game from the Roadrunners freshman starter, Braylon Owens. Malone (9-3) then entered and worked nine innings, allowing two runs on six hits, walking one and striking out four. He allowed just solo homers in the fifth and sixth inning and wiggled out of an eighth-inning jam that had runners on the corners and one out in a two-run UTSA lead.
 
A native of Round Rock, Texas, Malone won his league-leading ninth game of the year, the second-most wins in UTSA single-season history. A first-team All-Conference USA selection as a starting pitcher, Malone's nine innings marked a new career high, besting eight shutout innings he worked in midweek action in March.

 
The Roadrunners were led by a trio with three hits, including Ian Bailey, Leyton Barry and Chase Keng. Keng launched his ninth homer of the year, his third straight game with a blast, Bailey drove in the tying run in the sixth inning and Barry opened his outing with three consecutive hits. UTSA also got two hits from Jonathan Tapia, who was playing in his 209th career game to move into ninth in program history.
 
UTSA also got hits from Garrett Poston and Josh Killeen, with Killeen stretching his streak to 15 straight games reaching base safely.
 
The Roadrunners have now won 36 games, tying the 2007 club for the fourth-most wins in program history. It marks the most win for a UTSA program since claiming a program-record 39 in 2008.

 
FAU started its ace, lefty Hunter Cooley who worked six innings, scattering 10 hits and four runs – two earned – striking out seven. In a 4-4 game to open the seventh, Max Martzolf (2-2) came on in relief, working 1.2 innings with two runs allowed. Sam Drumbeller also worked in relief for FAU.
 
The Owls struck first in the bottom of the first inning, getting two on via a walk versus Owens before Malone entered. After an out, Dylan Goldstein singled into the gap to score the first run and Jackson Ross made it 2-0 with a sac fly lined to center.
 
UTSA got a run back in the top of the second, loading the bases with singles from Barry and Keng and a hit by pitch to Killeen. After a pair of outs, UTSA plated Barry on a misplayed ball up the middle, cutting the lead to 2-1.
 
Keng tied the game with his ninth blast of the year in the fourth inning, a line-drive blast over the rightfield wall.

 
Shane Magrann hit his fifth homer of the year in the bottom of the fifth, giving FAU a 3-2 lead.
 
In the top of the sixth, UTSA rallied to take its first lead of the game on four hits. Barry and Killeen led off with a single and Keng pushed Barry to third with a fly out to deep centerfield. Bailey then tied the game with a single through the left side. Poston then chopped into an infield single, with Killeen scoring after the throw to first got away and sailed to the dugout barrier.
 
Nolan Schanuel led off the bottom of the sixth inning connecting on his 16th homer of the year to even the game at 4-4.  
 
The Roadrunners answered in the top of the eighth inning, loading the bases with one out, courtesy of a Keng double, a Bailey single and a Poston hit by pitch. Matt King then lined a sac fly into leftfield to score Keng and give UTSA a 5-4 lead. Tapia then worked an eight-pitch at-bat with a pair out and runners on first and second, pounding a single through the left side to allow Bailey to motor home for a 6-4 lead.
Thursday Notes
Home Runs
UTSA: Keng (9)
UAB: Schanuel (15), Magrann (5)

WP – Luke Malone (9-3): 9.0 IP, 6 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, 4 strikeouts
SV – N/A
LP – Max Martzolf (2-2): 1.2 IP, 3 hits, 2 runs, 0 walks, 0 strikeouts
 
Up Next
UTSA return to Pete Taylor Park tomorrow, May 27, to face host and No. 1 seed Southern Miss in the first game of the day. First pitch is slated for 10 a.m. and the game will be streamed on ESPN +.
 
GAME NOTES: UTSA is 36-19 and is 20-11 against conference foes … UTSA head coach Pat Hallmark is 68-53 in his third year at UTSA and is 134-100 in his five-year career … Hallmark is 2-2 against FAU … The Roadrunners are 47-2 under Hallmark when leading after eight innings and 27-2 in 2022 … In Hallmark's coaching career, he is 100-6 when leading after eight innings … FAU leads the all-time series 15-9 … FAU leads 2-1 in games played in the C-USA Tournament … UTSA is 9-12 all-time in the C-USA Tournament and are 26-34 all-time in league tournaments … The Roadrunners are 9-8 vs. a left-handed starting pitcher in 2022 … UTSA has a program record 495 strikeouts in 2022 … UTSA has scored 439 runs in 2022, the third-most in program history … UTSA has 116 doubles in 2022, the ninth-most in program history … UTSA has 65 homers, the fourth-most in program history … UTSA has 406 RBI in 2022, the third-most in program history … UTSA has 251 walks in 2022, the fifth-most in program history … UTSA has 85 HBP in 2022, the second-most in school annals … Freshman RHP Braylon Owens made his 15th appearance of the year and his second start … It was Owens' first start since Feb. 20 on opening weekend … UTSA is 1-1 in Owens' starts … R-Junior RHP Luke Malone worked in his 18th game of the year and the 39th of his career … Malone has inherited six runners in relief in 2022, allowing two to score …  Malone has won the second-most games in single-season history … Malone worked a career-long nine innings … Malone improved to 9-3 on the year and 11-5 in his career … Senior 3B Jonathan Tapia played in his 209th career game, moving into sole possession of ninth on the UTSA list … Tapia has reached base safely in 47 of 53 starts on the year and 151 of 175 starts in his career … Tapia has a career-high 46 RBI in 2022 … Tapia has 18 multi-hit games in 2022 and 39 in his career … R-Sophomore C Josh Killeen caught his fifth runner trying to steal on the year … Killeen was hit by the second pitch of the year … Killeen has reached base safely in 15 straight games, a team high … Killeen has reached base safely in 23 of 26 starts on the year and in 29 of 35 career starts … Junior 2B Leyton Barry has reached base safely in 43 of 50 starts in 2022 and in 78 of 95 career starts … Barry has 22 multi-hit games on the year and 46 in his career … Barry has 11 games with three or more hits in 2022 … Senior LF Ian Bailey made his team-leading 55th consecutive start … Bailey has reached base safely in 48 of 54 starts on the year and in 74 of 83 starts in his UTSA career … Bailey has 23 multi-hit games in 2022 and 33 in his career … Bailey has seven games with three or more hits in 2022 … Senior RF Chase Keng has 57 RBI in 2022, ranking tied with Trent Lockwood for eighth in program single-season history … Keng has reached base safely in 47 of 52 starts on the year and 118 of 145 starts in his career … Keng homered for the ninth time on the year, a career high and the 19th time in his career … Keng has homers in three consecutive games … Keng has 20 multi-hit games on the year and 36 in his career … Keng doubled for the 17th time on the year and the 29th time in his career … Junior DH Garrett Poston has reached base safely in 27 of 31 starts in his career and 27 of 30 on the year … Poston was hit by a pitch for the 10th time on the year … Freshman SS Matt King hung his first career sacrifice fly in the eighth inning.
 
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