By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay
The Baylor Bears produced a two-run homer by Tyce Armstrong and a game-winning RBI single by Dylan Perez in the bottom of the 12th inning Tuesday night, rallying past the UTSA Roadrunners, 10-9, at Baylor Ballpark.
Perez, a freshman from Boerne, is the son of former UTSA standout Mickey Perez. He finished the game three for six at the plate with three RBIs.
Armstrong also made his presence felt with three hits, including a pair of long, two-run home runs. He increased his team-leading total to 14 homers for the season.
The Roadrunners, who trailed by scores of 5-2 and 6-3 early in the game, never quit. They scored two runs in the fifth and two more in the eighth to tie the score, 7-7.
Neither team could score in the ninth, sending the game to extra frames. In the 12th, the Roadrunners broke through with a couple of runs against a faltering Bears bullpen.
First, Drew Detlefsen delivered with an RBI single. With the bases loaded, Jacob Silva walked to force in a second run, giving UTSA a 9-7 advantage.
In the bottom half, UTSA relief ace Sam Simmons opened the inning by striking out Baylor’s Pearson Riebock.
Brady Janusek followed with a single, and then Armstrong unloaded on a 3-2 breaking pitch from Simmons, sending it over the left field wall to tie the game.
Brytton Clements stepped to the plate and smacked a single to right field to reach base as the potential winning run, bringing UTSA coach Pat Hallmark out to make a pitching change.
Replacing Simmons was righthander Gunnar Brown, who famously defeated the Texas Longhorns in the NCAA playoffs last June.
From there, adversity struck for UTSA as Brown threw a wild pitch that went all the way to the back stop. It allowed Clements to advance from first to third base.
On a close play, Clements slid head first to beat the throw, twisting his body around the tag. Called safe by the umpire, the play went to video review, where it was upheld.
Caleb Bergman entered the game at that point as a pinch runner, and Perez came to the plate.
With Brown still on the mound, Perez worked the count to 3-1. On the next pitch, he lined a ball that dropped in front of UTSA centerfielder Christian Hallmark for the game winner.
With the victory in a game that lasted four hours and 44 minutes, the Bears from the Big 12 Conference avoided a season sweep at the hands of the Roadrunners, who play in the American.
UTSA beat Baylor 11-6 earlier this season in Houston at the Bruce Bolt College Classic.
Coming into Tuesday night, the Roadrunners, one of the better mid-major programs in the nation, had won three of the last four meetings against the power conference Bears.
Baylor is now 38-11 in the all-time series against UTSA.
Bears reliever Luke DeVasher, the 10th Baylor pitcher of the night, got the last out in the top of the 12th inning to earn the victory. He is 1-1.
Simmons, who worked three and a third innings in relief, took the loss and fell to 6-3. He was charged with three runs on three hits.
Detlefsen, UTSA’s batting leader, went three for six at the plate and produced two RBIs. Hallmark also had a pair of RBIs on two hits in six at bats.
Caden Miller went two for four with two doubles and scored three times.
The Roadrunners had their chances to win and sweep the Bears but couldn’t get it done. They drew 14 walks. They were also hit by a pitch.
But in large measure Baylor pitchers got the best of UTSA hitters in the crucial moments, holding the Roadrunners to five of 28 at the plate with runners on base.
The Roadrunners were five for 20 with runners in scoring position.
Records
UTSA 25-12
Baylor 21-15
Coming up
American Conference
Charlotte at UTSA, Friday, 6 p.m.
Charlotte at UTSA, Saturday, 2 p.m.
Charlotte at UTSA, Sunday, 1 p.m.
Notable
The Bears caught a huge break in the top of the fifth inning after Christian Hallmark hit a two-out, two-run bloop single to bring the Roadrunners to within 6-5.
UTSA’s next man up, Jacob Silva, came to the plate with teammate Andrew Stucky at second base and Hallmark at first.
Silva popped up on what looked like an easy play for the third out, but Baylor shortstop Travis Sanders dropped the ball.
At the time, Stucky was rounding third base and headed for home, while Hallmark was in the vicinity of Sanders, rounding second.
After the ball dropped, Hallmark beat a throw to third base. With the Roadrunners thinking they had tied the game, umpires conferred and elected to call Hallmark out for interference.
UTSA coach Pat Hallmark, Christian Hallmark’s father, argued briefly on the umpires’ interpretation. But the call was allowed to stand, negating what would have been a game-tying run.
