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Drama kings: UTSA beats FIU, 5-4, in 10 innings

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Relief ace Derek Craft struck out five in two and a third innings to earn the victory for the Roadrunners. (Photo by Jerry Briggs)

Just call them drama kings for a day.

Leading by three runs on Sunday afternoon, the UTSA Roadrunners allowed the FIU Golden Panthers to score once in the seventh and twice in the eighth to tie the score.

And then, just as it seemed that the Panthers might steal another Conference USA baseball victory in San Antonio, relief pitching ace Derek Craft put a stop it.

Craft struck out five in two-plus innings of scoreless relief, setting the stage for a two-out, 10th-inning rally and a 5-4 win for the Roadrunners.

After Dylan Rock’s single scored Ben Brookover from third, UTSA had emerged with two victories in the three-game series and renewed hope for a strong finish to the season.

UTSA players stormed the field after Rock’s RBI single to left, celebrating a win that boosted the Roadrunners (21-17 overall, 9-8 in conference) into fourth place in the C-USA standings.

“The later we get in the season, any victories are good victories, especially as you inch your way toward the conference tournament,” UTSA coach Jason Marshall said. “But the margins in our league are so slim. From top to bottom, pretty much anybody can beat anybody on a given day.

“Just proud of our resiliency to, one, give up the lead but, two, just hang tough and continue to get outs. Derek Craft just kind of hung in there, threw some zeroes up and gave us a chance to get to that moment.

“And then just proud of Dylan Rock, a freshman, for stepping in there and getting the big hit.”

UTSA’s Ben Brookover executes a head-first slide into third base with a second-inning triple. (Photo by Jerry Briggs)

With two out in the bottom of the 10th and nobody on, Brookover stepped to the plate for the Roadrunners.

Marshall, in the third-base coach’s box, shouted some encouragement at the senior from Reagan: “Get us a double, Ben.”

Brookover promptly obliged by powering a 2-1 fast ball from Tyler Myrick to the base of the fence in center field.

As he pulled into second standing up, UTSA was in business.

With the game on the line and Rock at the plate, a wild pitch from Myrick skipped to the back-stop, allowing Brookover to take third.

At that point, Rock slapped a 2-2 fastball into left field with some top-spin, bringing Brookover home for the winner.

“Coming into today, we knew it was kind of a must win,” said Brookover, who had two doubles and a triple. “We knew that if we won, we’d be in or around fourth place, and if we lost we’d be in (or) around eighth place, so a lot of guys had the mentality that this was a must win.

“It got a little sketchy at the end, but we definitely took care of business.”

FIU starter Nick MacDonald pitched well, striking out six in 5 and 1/3 innings. But he tired at the end, giving up three runs in the sixth and leaving the game with UTSA leading 4-1. (Photo by Jerry Briggs)

UTSA-FIU series at a glance

With a revised schedule, the Roadrunners and Panthers played two nine-inning games on Friday, with UTSA winning the opener 12-4 and then dropping the nightcap, 2-1.

Brookover homered in the first game and drove in four. For the series, he produced four hits, scored five runs and had five RBIs.

Craft, a pro prospect, pitched in all three games.

In Game 2, he took the loss after giving up a game-winning homer to Logan Allen in the eighth. But by Sunday, he earned redemption and a victory that improved his record to 3-3.

The 6-foot-8 right-hander, with a fastball clocked at 96 mph on the radar gun, worked a combined five innings in the three games and allowed one run on five hits. He struck out seven and walked two.

Records

UTSA 21-17, 9-8
FIU 18-21, 8-10

Coming up

UTSA hosts intra-city Division I foe Incarnate Word in a non-conference game on Tuesday night. The Roadrunners return to C-USA competition on Friday with the first of three games at Middle Tennessee.

UTSA’s Derek Craft fires a pitch in the eighth inning against the FIU Golden Panthers. (Photo by Jerry Briggs)

FIU beats UTSA 2-1 to earn doubleheader split

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UTSA players applaud teammate Ben Brookover as he rounds the bases following a three-run homer in the opener of a doubleheader Friday against FIU.

FIU freshman Logan Allen got a second chance to beat the UTSA Roadrunners on Friday night, and he didn’t waste it.

Coming off the bench as a pinch-hitter, Allen belted a solo homer in the eighth inning to boost the Golden Panthers to a 2-1 victory and a split of a Conference USA baseball doubleheader at Roadrunner Field.

UTSA won the first game, 12-4, saddling Allen with the loss as the starting pitcher.

Game 1 recap

Senior Ben Brookover and junior Ryan Stacy smashed three-run homers, lifting UTSA to its 20th victory of the season.

Brookover delivered in the fifth inning as UTSA rallied from a two-run deficit and into a 4-3 lead.

Batting from the left side, Stacy sliced a twisting shot over the left-field wall to highlight a six-run eighth, turning the game into a run-away.

“Just glad we were able to extend the lead in the first game,” UTSA coach Jason Marshall said. “To get a little bit of a cushion there, late in the game, and to win the first game in a series is always key and important, especially to defend your home turf on a Friday.”

Junior Kyrell Miller (3-1) was the winning pitcher in 3 and 2/3 innings of relief. He yielded one run on three hits.

Miller struck out seven and walked one.

“Knowing how (starter Steven) Dressler has thrown all year and to see him come out of the game early, and for us to just hold serve … Kyrell Miller threw really well,” Marshall said. “(He) struck a couple of guys out to end an inning and then struck three guys out the following inning.”

Allen (4-5) started for the Panthers and was pitching well until he ran into trouble in the fifth.

He grooved a pitch to Brookover, who jerked it on a line over the left field wall and into the net for a lead that UTSA would not relinquish.


FIU’s Lorenzo Hampton delivers an RBI triple to right field Friday in the opener of a doubleheader at UTSA.

FIU jumped out to a 3-1 lead in its first four at bats.

The Panthers opened the scoring in the first inning with an RBI triple by Lorenzo Hampton.

They added another run in the second on a solo homer by Adan Fernandez.

Game 2 recap

In evaluating what went wrong in the second game of the double-header, Marshall started his analysis with FIU starting pitcher Andres Nunez (see video above).

The 6-foot-4, 240-pound, right-hander pitched seven innings, limiting UTSA to one run on five hits. He struck out nine.

“You know, I got nightmares of Nunez,” Marshall said. “In 2015, he pitched an absolute fantastic game against us in the conference tournament.

“He’s had some hardships and some injuries, and now he’s back, and once again beats the Roadrunners.”

Allen also did his part.

After UTSA scratched out a run against Nunez to tie the game in the seventh, FIU coaches elected to pinch hit Allen for Juan Teixeira to lead off the eighth.

He delivered with a solo homer over the left field wall against UTSA reliever Derek Craft.

“He got into one, and on a night like tonight when the wind’s blowing out to left, it doesn’t take a lot,” Marshall said.

It was Allen’s first homer of the season in 82 at bats.


UTSA freshman Jonathan Tapia turns on the jets to beat a throw to first base after an FIU infield bobble in the seventh. The error allowed Chris Estrada to score from third, tying the game, 1-1.

Records

FIU 18-20, 8-9
UTSA 20-17, 8-8

Series schedule

Sunday: Single game, noon

Note: The schedule originally called for single games Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Officials on Thursday agreed to play two games Friday, take Saturday off because of forecasts for inclement weather, and then play the finale on Sunday.

TCU loses slugger Luken Baker for the season

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The TCU Horned Frogs’ hopes of making a fifth straight trip to the College World Series took a serious blow Wednesday when it was learned that home-run leader Luken Baker has been lost for the season with a broken leg.

TCU defeated UT-Arlington 11-7 on the road Wednesday night. But the Horned Frogs are destined to miss the talents of Baker, a 6-foot-4, 265-pound slugger out of Spring.

Baker, a junior, suffered the injury Tuesday night in Fort Worth during the Frogs’ 4-2, 11-inning loss to Abilene Christian.

Reports indicated that he got his spikes caught in the dirt while running from first to second base.

Through 31 games, he was hitting .319 with nine home runs and 26 RBIs.

With the win over UT Arlington, TCU improved to 19-14. The Frogs are 6-5 in the Big 12 leading into a weekend series in Waco against Baylor.

Josh Jung hits for the cycle as Texas Tech routs New Mexico

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Josh Jung, a Texas Tech sophomore from MacArthur, etched his name in the school record books Tuesday afternoon in Albuquerque.

He became the sixth player in Tech history to hit for the cycle in a 20-9 victory for the fifth-ranked Red Raiders at New Mexico.

Jung continued with his season-long batting tear by going 5-for-5, hitting two homers and driving in eight runs against the Lobos.

Highlighting his performance, Jung singled in the first inning, doubled in the third, homered in the fourth and eighth, and then tripled in the ninth.

The outburst raised Jung’s batting average to .403 for the season.

He also has produced seven home runs and 52 RBI in 38 games for the Red Raiders (30-8).

Villanova roars to second NCAA title in three years

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Guard Donte DiVincenzo poured in a career-high 31 points off the bench in front of a roaring crowd at the Alamodome Monday night, lifting the Villanova Wildcats to a 79-62 victory over Michigan for the NCAA men’s basketball championship.

Villanova guard Donte DiVincenzo set a record for most points in an NCAA title game by a non-starter. He scored 31.

It was Villanova’s second title in three years.

DiVincenzo, a 6-5 sophomore from Wilmington, Delaware, scored 18 in the first half when Villanova rallied from a seven-point deficit to take a nine-point halftime lead.

He continued to put on a show in the second half, finishing with a 10-of-15 shooting performance. DiVincenzo knocked down 5 of 7 shots from three-point range.

Guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman led the Wolverines with 23.

Records

Villanova: 36-4

Michigan: 33-8

Attendance

67,831

Quotable

Asked what turned the game around after Michigan seized an early seven-point lead, Villanova coach Jay Wright momentarily dodged the question, saying, “We want to congratulate the Michigan Wolverines (and coach) John Beilein, a great program (with) great fans, and we’re proud to have played them in this game.

“To answer your question, Jalen Brunson, Phil Booth and Mikal Bridges are our leaders. When we got down, those three kept us together.”


Villanova coach Jay Wright tells reporters it is difficult to comprehend that his teams have won two championships in the past three seasons.

Catching fire again

Just as Michigan started to make a push midway through the second half, DiVincenzo caught fire once again.

The Wolverines pulled within 13 points, but DiVincenzo answered with a free throw and two threes over the next two minutes to push the Wildcats back out front, 62-46, with eight minutes remaining.

The outburst boosted DiVincenzo’s point total to 27 points.

A dust-up after halftime

An offensive foul called on Michigan center Moritz Wagner with 15:24 remaining sparked emotions among players on both squads, resulting in technical fouls on Wagner and Villanova center Omari Spellman.

After the whistle, Wagner and Spellman faced off, as fans jeered the play.

After a review, officials elected to call double technicals.

The play underscored Villanova’s ploy to blanket Wagner with a physical defense, in an apparent attempt to take Michigans’s leading scorer out of his rhythm.


Holding court with reporters after the game, Jay Wright said he always told Donte DiVincenzo that he had to play defense to play for the Villanova Wildcats.

First-half summary

Trailing by seven, the Wildcats rallied behind DiVincenzo to take a 37-28 lead at intermission.

DiVincenzo scored 12 points in Villanova’s 23-7 run in the final 11 minutes.

Early in the game, Wagner, a 6-11, multi-skilled center, led the Wolverines to a 21-14 advantage.

Showing off a variety of skills, either down low or outside on the perimeter, Wagner scored 11 points in nine minutes.

But after Wagner’s bucket in the paint made it a seven-point game and brought Michigan fans out of their seats, DiVincenzo went to work for Villanova.

Included in his outburst was a long three from the left wing to boost the Wildcats into a 23-21 lead.

He added another three and a dunk to finish the half with 18 points on 7 of 10 shooting.

Michigan forward Moritz ‘Moe’ Wagner said referees didn’t explain a double technical foul called on him and Villanova forward Omari Spellman. ‘But I wasn’t worrying about it. I just moved on to the next play. Stuff happens.’

On April 2, before a crowd of 67,831 at the Alamodome, Villanova celebrated a 79-62 victory over Michigan for the NCAA title.

Speedy Claxton to Jay Wright: Go ahead and win it

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Former Spurs guard Speedy Claxton led Jay Wright-coached Hofstra to the 2000 NCAA tournament.

Craig “Speedy” Claxton made history in San Antonio 15 years ago when he came off the bench to spark the Spurs to an NBA title-clinching victory over the New Jersey Nets.

Claxton was on the floor playing point guard in Game 6 of the 2003 NBA Finals when the Spurs slammed the Nets with a 19-0 run to rock the SBC Center.

Later, he helped the city celebrate its second championship.

Tonight, another basketball title is on the line in San Antonio, and Claxton has a rooting interest.

Now an assistant coach at Hofstra, he would like nothing more than to see the Villanova Wildcats beat the Michigan Wolverines in the NCAA finals at the Alamodome.

Why Villanova?

Well, it’s simple, really. Villanova’s coach is Jay Wright, a man who helped mold Claxton’s remarkable career.

As head coach at Hofstra in the 1990s, Wright recruited Claxton to the school in Long Island, New York.

Together, they led a downtrodden program to the 2000 NCAA tournament.

As a result, Claxton’s career took off.

He spent the next nine years cashing NBA paychecks after being selected on the first round of the 2000 draft, 20th overall, by the Philadelphia 76ers.

Claxton, naturally, has always been a big Jay Wright fan.

But considering that the NCAA title game is being held in San Antonio, he’d really like to see his mentor win, so the two could share in some personal hoops symmetry.

“I just thought about it when we got on the phone earlier,” he said in a telephone interview with The JB Replay. “Oh, wow, (what if) we both win in the same city?

“I’m going to have to text him and tell him to go ahead and win that championship. That’s pretty dope.

“I’m going to have to text him and say, ‘Go ahead and win it.’ ”

Wright joked with the media covering the Final Four that he started his career with three losing seasons at Hofstra and heard rumblings that he might get fired.

But the coach kept plugging away.

Things started to change quickly when he recruited Claxton, a 5-foot-11 dynamo from Christ the King High School in Middle Village, N.Y.

“You could tell that he was energetic and passionate about the game,” Claxton said. “I came (to Hofstra) because of his off-the-court personality.”

Claxton said he thinks there are two sides to the coach. Off the court and on the court.

Off the court, the coach is charismatic and charming. On the court, he can be intense and demanding.

“Oh, he was very demanding of his players,” Claxton said. “He wants high energy at all times, you know, taking charges. Diving for loose balls. Up in your man’s face on defense.”

What Claxton learned from Wright at Hofstra served him well in the NBA.

“He made me the player that I am,” Claxton said. “When I played (for Hofstra), I played every possession like it was the last, because of him.

“I didn’t just want to get a stop one time down. Or two times down. I wanted to get a stop every time my man had the ball.

“I mean, I took it personal, that I didn’t want my man to score. Like, I didn’t like it at all. I didn’t like my man scoring at any time. Not once. Twice. Any time.”

Claxton has worked on Hofstra’s staff for the past five years, including four as an assistant coach, under Joe Mihalick.

In December, Claxton got an up-close look at Villanova when the Pride hosted the Wildcats off campus at Nassau Coliseum.

“Oh, as you can see, they’re one of the best teams in the country,” Claxton said. “They really have no weakness.”

Two years ago, Villanova entered the Final Four at Houston and broke through with its first national title since 1985 by beating both Oklahoma and North Carolina.

This time, its’s a different feeling for Claxton.

“In the first one, I was excited,” he said. “I was like, ‘Oh, my God, I can’t believe coach Wright is really in the championship game.’ Now, I expect it. I expect him to win.”

It’s down to two: Villanova, Michigan to duel for a title

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The Villanova Wildcats and Michigan Wolverines on Sunday kicked into high gear their preparation for Monday’s NCAA basketball championship game at the Alamodome.

Coaches and players were also meeting with the media.

Villanova coach Jay Wright (pictured, above) talks to reporters Sunday on the eve of the national title game against Michigan.

Wright won his first NCAA championship in Houston two years ago when Villanova topped North Carolina, 77-74.

He’ll get a shot to seize the second crown of his career on Monday night at the Alamodome in downtown San Antonio.

“We are thrilled to be here, obviously,” Wright said. “Every time you come up here, you just kind of pinch yourself, like, we’re still here. This is really cool.”

Villanova forward Eric Paschall emerged as one of the stories of the Final Four Saturday when he hit 10 of 11 shots and scored a team-high 24 in a 95-79 victory over Kansas.

With his performance, Paschall put himself in position to play in his first title game for the Wildcats.

He sat out under transfer rules in 2015-16 when Villanova beat Oklahoma and then North Carolina in Houston.

Michigan coach John Beilein addresses the media at the NCAA Final Four.

Michigan coach John Beilein said Villanova put on an “offensive clinic” against Kansas.

“It was an offensive clinic against a very good defensive team,” Beilein said. “We’re just pleased to be in this forum right now, where we’re playing the last day.”

Michigan advanced to the title game with a 69-57 victory over Loyola-Chicago.

Michigan guard Muhammad-Ali Abdur-Rahkman on Sunday afternoon discussed the impact that coach John Beilein has had on his career.

Abdur-Rahkman came to Michigan as a two-star recruit and worked his way into a starter’s role.

He told reporters that he always appreciated that Beilein treated players who weren’t playing the same way he treated athletes in the rotation.

Abdur-Rahkman will be a key figure in the championship game with his ability to guard the three-point line.

It’s confession time.

On Saturday afternoon, I got myself into a bit of a rush on my way to the Final Four.

Preparing to leave my house, I left my phone charger in the living room.

Once I arrived in the dome press room, I unpacked my gear and discovered the mental error.

Fortunately, my wife was home and, as usual, was more than willing to help me out.

She drove downtown and delivered the phone charger, handing off to me in front of the Express-News building.

I wasn’t thrilled with the idea of having to walk from the dome to the newspaper, and back, but I’m glad I did.

It was a chance to see and hear the sights and sounds of visitors on their way to the game.

In a sense, a mental error allowed me to feel the pulse of the tournament.

It was special.

Michigan rallies to beat Loyola-Chicago, 69-57

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The Michigan Wolverines rallied in the second half Saturday night for a 69-57 victory over the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers in the NCAA Final Four semifinals at the Alamodome.

With the win, Michigan advanced to play in Monday night’s title game against either Kansas or Villanova.

Loyola-Chicago played well most of the night and seemed to be on its way to making history as the first No. 11 seed to advance to the championship game.

The Ramblers led by 10 with 14:08 remaining.

But the Wolverines hit the Ramblers with a 17-2 run in the second half to seize a 54-47 lead with 4:50 remaining, taking the life out of the Ramblers.

Loyola never got closer than five the rest of the way.

Statistics

Forward Moritz ‘Moe’ Wagner produced 24 points and 15 rebounds to pace the Wolverines. Guard Charles Matthews scored 17.

For Loyola, forward Cameron Krutwig had 17 points and six rebounds.

Quotable

“We’re elated to get a win like that, the way we did it,” Michigan coach John Beilein said. “You know, we see some really good defenses in the Big Ten. I would argue that it’s the best defensive league in the country.

“We saw some great defense (from Loyola tonight). They’re a little bit smaller at the four positions, and they can really get into you and guard. And it really gave us problems in the first half. They rotated so quickly.

“This has been our dilemma all year. How are people going to guard a shooting five? Then we have to adjust as the game goes on. We didn’t adjust very well.

“In the second half after we see their reactions, we had to make some shots. We couldn’t make em for awhile, but we did (eventually). Our young guys came in there and we took off like crazy.

“Everybody is really happy, and we’re ready to move on to the next game, whoever it is.”

After a slow start, Loyola-Chicago stormed to a 29-22 halftime lead.

Michigan held the upper hand early, taking advantage of skittish shooting by the Missouri Valley Conference champions and moving out to a 12-4 advantage.

From there, the Wolverines went cold on offense, allowing the Ramblers to climb back into it.

In the final five minutes, the Ramblers turned up the intensity and outscored the Wolverines, 14-7.

Fans leaped from their seats and roared approval when Loyola’s Donte Ingram followed a miss with a short put back at the buzzer.

No. 11 seeds in the Final Four

No team seeded lower than 11th has ever reached the NCAA Final Four. Four others have made it to the final weekend, and all four lost in the first game, failing to reach the championship round.

1986 (at Dallas) — #2 Louisville beat #11 LSU, 88-77

2006 (at Indianapolis) — #3 Florida beat #11 George Mason, 73-58

2011 (at Houston) — #8 Butler beat #11 Virginia Commonwealth 70-62

2018 (at San Antonio) — #3 Michigan beat #11 Loyola-Chicago, 69-57

Sister Jean Dolores-Schmidt sits court-side at the Alamodome before tipoff of the Loyola-Michigan game.

Villanova’s Brunson studied Dirk Nowitzki’s post moves

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Villanova guard Jalen Brunson has won two major Player of the Year awards.

Villanova guard Jalen Brunson is an old soul in so many respects. The way he defers to his teammates. The way he studies the game.

The way he uses, as a point guard, post-up moves that would make some NBA centers take notice.

Named as the Player of the Year in college basketball by both the Associated Press and the U.S. Basketball Writers, Brunson will lead the Wildcats into the Final Four Saturday night against the Kansas Jayhawks.

He said Thursday that he developed his post game with help from his father, Rick Brunson, an assistant coach with the Minnesota Timberwolves and a former nine-year NBA veteran out of Temple.

But, surprisingly, Brunson said the player he watched and studied most wasn’t a guard.

“I know this is going to sound crazy,” Brunson told The JB Replay. “But I really like how (Dallas Mavericks center) Dirk Nowitzki plays in the post.

“I just love the way he uses his shot. He just finds the ways to use his footwork … for angles to make plays not just for himself, but for others.

“Honestly, I watched a lot of that, and my dad really helped me with that, to be able to use my footwork and to be able to use my mind to read a defense.

“To use my body to see how a defender’s playing. Its a culmination of all that.”

Villanova coach Jay Wright said coaches discovered Brunson’s effectiveness with his back to the basket in a drill “a couple of summers ago.”

“We put Jalen in there and … coaches started looking at each other like, ‘Wow, his post moves are incredible … we’re going with this, we’re using this.

“But then as he’s continued to develop, he loves it. And he loves to work at it, and his footwork is incredible.”

Sister Jean draws a crowd at press conference

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Loyola-Chicago basketball team chaplain Jean Dolores Schmidt, known to fans worldwide as ‘Sister Jean,’ met with the media Friday morning in San Antonio.

The Ramblers will take on the Michigan Wolverines in the NCAA semifinals on Saturday at the Alamodome.

One question to Sister Jean centered on a comment from Mary Belle Hicks, the 100-year-old grandmother of former Michigan star Jalen Rose.

“Sister Jean, it’s been a good ride. But it’s over Saturday. Go Blue!” Hicks said in a video.

Sister Jean said she’s seen the video.

“I saw it on Facebook the other day,” she told reporters. “I also heard that she said she’s out to get me, so we’ll see.

“Somebody said, ‘Maybe you need a pair of boxing gloves,’ and
I said, ‘Well, we’ll see what happens.’

“I hope we see each other. I hope we meet there. I love to meet people.”

Sister Jean said it’s been a challenge to balance religious obligations with basketball on Easter weekend.

“It’s a real challenge, but we’re going to Good Friday service this afternoon because we have that nice break.

“We’re having a university Mass together on Easter Sunday – you know I said Easter Sunday because we hope to stay, and
we’re confident enough we will.

“And one of our Jesuits is coming down to say the Mass for us. It’s hard, though. We have to keep our minds in a quiet attitude as well, and I think we make that space, and that’s what we do at Loyola.

“We think about what we’re doing. We focus on what we do. That’s part of the team’s success.”