By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay
Connor Kelley pitched six scoreless innings, and freshman Nathan Johnson hit the first home run of his college career Friday night as the 25th-ranked UTSA Roadrunners rolled past the New Mexico State Aggies, 10-2.
UTSA pitching had a shutout working in the bottom of the ninth inning when the stadium lights at New Mexico State went out.
After a delay, the Aggies scored their only two runs before UTSA reliever Christian Okerholm put a stop to the rally and secured the team’s fifth straight victory.
In his best outing of the season, Kelley allowed only two hits and walked three while striking out six in the first of a three-game series at Las Cruces, N.M.
After issuing a leadoff walk in the third, the big righthander retired the last 12 hitters he faced. Kelley was on his game after a shaky start, throwing 88 pitches, including 49 for strikes.
Johnson hammered a solo home run to lead off the fourth inning and added a sacrifice fly in a two-run seventh for the 25th-ranked Roadrunners, who improved to 12-1 on the season.
Another UTSA freshman, Aidan Eshelman, made his mark with two hits and two RBI.
The Roadrunners will play the Aggies again Saturday and Sunday in Las Cruces before traveling for two more on the road Tuesday and Wednesday in Lubbock at Texas Tech.
UTSA scored first in the second inning, opening the rally with a walk and later delivering a one-out single by Garrett Gruell.
The Roadrunners scored twice on the next play, a ground ball by Blaine Bishop that evolved into a throwing error by New Mexico State shortstop Boston Vest.
In the fourth, UTSA broke away.
Johnson smashed a leadoff homer off New Mexico State starting pitcher Bradyn Barnes to make it 3-0. It was the first homer of the season for Johnson, a freshman from Katy Seven Lakes.
Jake Carvajal entered the game at that point to replace Barnes on the mound. The Roadrunners greeted him with three straight hits, the last one an RBI double by Diego Diaz.
After Eshelman and Drew Detlefsen delivered consecutive RBI sacrifice flies, UTSA had crossed four runs in the inning to build a 6-0 lead.
The Roadrunners added two runs in the seventh, one in the eighth and one more in the ninth for their ninth game with double figures in scoring.
Records
UTSA 12-1
New Mexico State 6-7
Coming up
UTSA at New Mexico State, Saturday, 7 p.m.
UTSA at New Mexico State, Sunday, noon
Notable
Coach Pat Hallmark can get his 200th victory at UTSA on Saturday in Las Cruces. Hallmark is now 199-112 as he begins his seventh season with the Roadrunners.
He is 265-160 in his ninth season as a Division I coach, including two at Incarnate Word.