Update: UTSA’s Tuesday night game at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi has been called off because of poor field conditions brought on by inclement weather.
By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay
The first-place UTSA Roadrunners bashed four home runs in an 11-run second inning Saturday en route to their 30th win of the season, a 25-7, run-rule victory in seven innings over the Tulane Green Wave.
For the Roadrunners, the bottom of the second was uniquely productive in that they hit for a home-run cycle of sorts, meaning that they crushed balls out of the park in all four variations — solo, two-run, three-run and grand slam.
Norris McClure hit two of the homers, a two-run shot to center and also a three-run blast to right, and Diego Diaz sliced a ball into the screen in left field for a grand slam. Mason Lytle added a solo shot in the inning. Both McClure and Diaz finished with eight RBI on the day.
After losing at home for only the second time this season on Friday, UTSA rebounded on a day that Tulane’s pitching collapsed, issuing 15 walks, not to mention hitting four batters and throwing three wild pitches.
UTSA took full advantage of the situation by stroking 16 hits, following its 11-run second inning with three runs in the third, four in the fourth and six in the fifth.
With the victory, the Roadrunners (30-10, 12-3) won two of three in the series against the Green Wave and increased their lead in the American Athletic Conference to two games over the South Florida Bulls.
Records
Tulane 24-17, 8-7
UTSA 30-10, 12-3
Coming up
UTSA at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (non conference), Tuesday, 6 p.m.
Memphis at UTSA, Friday, April 25, 6 p.m.
Memphis at UTSA, Saturday, April 26. 4 p.m.
Memphis at UTSA, Sunday, April 27, noon
Notable
The Roadrunners have won 30 games for the fourth straight season under Coach Pat Hallmark. They won 38 games in both 2022 and 2023 and 32 last season.
The streak matches a run from 2006 through 2009 under Sherman Corbett for consecutive seasons of 30 or more wins.
The Roadrunners have 15 games remaining in the regular season, which includes three-game AAC series against Memphis, South Florida, East Carolina and Rice.
AAC leaders
UTSA 12-3, 30-10
South Florida 10-5, 22-15
Florida Atlantic 9-6, 27-12
East Carolina 9-6, 27-14
Charlotte 9-6, 22-17
Tulane 8-7, 24-17