By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

UTSA scored two runs in the seventh and one in the ninth Sunday to beat the Florida Atlantic University Owls, 7-6, sweeping a three-game series in the American Athletic Conference at Roadrunner Field.

Coach Pat Hallmark’s UTSA Roadrunners improved to 23-7 overall and 5-1 in conference with a three-game sweep of the FAU Owls. – File photo by Joe Alexander

James Taussig, who was celebrating his birthday, accounted for the last three UTSA runs. In the seventh, he delivered with a two-out, two-run double to right.

In the ninth, with the bases loaded, he singled and drove in the winning run from third.

For the third straight day, the Roadrunners fell into an early hole, climbed out of it and won the game.

On Sunday, the Owls led 2-1 in the fourth and built a 6-3 advantage after a four-run fifth.

From there, UTSA’s relief pitching and defense took over, shutting down out the Owls in four straight innings.

After reliever Kendall Dove gave up a two-run homer in the fifth, he settled down and pitched into the eighth, when center fielder Mason Lytle made a key play by throwing out a runner on the bases.

After UTSA lefty Jake Cothran faced one batter, Gunnar Brown got the last out and then worked a clean ninth inning.

Records

FAU 19-9, 2-4
UTSA 23-7, 5-1

Coming up

UTSA at TCU, Tuesday, 6 p.m.

Notable

FAU’s John Schroeder hit a solo home run to center off UTSA starter Conor Myles in the second inning. It was his second homer in two days at Roadrunner Field. FAU’s Jake Millan blasted a three-run homer off Kendall Dove in the fifth.

The Roadrunners have started conference play with series victories over teams that beat them last May in the AAC tournament.

Last May, UTSA took a No. 2 seed into the tournament in Clearwater, Fla., and lost to Charlotte, 9-5, in 12 innings. The next day, UTSA lost to FAU, 12-5, to end its season 0-2 in the double elimination format.

Last week, they opened AAC play by winning two out of three on the road at Charlotte and then followed by taking all three at home against FAU. UTSA’s last series sweep in conference play came a year ago, to the week, last March 28-30 on the road at Tulane.