UTSA catcher Jacob Silva receives a throw from left fielder Drew Detlefsen before tagging out Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s Isaiah Afework to cut off a run in the top of the eighth inning. – Photo by Joe Alexander

After securing the ball, Silva applies applies the tag on A&M-Corpus Christi’s Isaiah Afework to preserve a 1-1 tie score. – Photo by Joe Alexander

By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

UTSA made two eye-opening defensive plays in the late innings and then scored a pair of runs in the eighth Tuesday night to beat the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders, 3-1, before 1,140 at Roadrunner Field.

Ace reliever Sam Simmons (6-1) closed in the eighth and ninth to earn the victory. Josh Arquette and Drew Detlefsen did the honors for the Roadrunners on the defensive side.

With two out and a runner at third base in the seventh, the Islanders had a chance to break a 1-1 tie when Hunter Azeman hit a ball hard that glanced off the pitcher’s mound.

It looked like it was headed for center field on the carom, but Arquette, who was shifted over to second base on the play, leaped and gloved the ball.

He whipped a throw to first base to end the threat.

In the eighth, with the game still tied 1-1, A&M-Corpus Christi’s Isaiah Afeworks beat out a leadoff infield single. As the next batter was striking out, Afeworks stole second, using his speed to move into scoring position.

Jackson Smith followed with a single to left field, and, once again, it appeared that the Islanders would take the lead.

But Detlefsen’s throw from left field rocketed to the plate, just in time for catcher Jacob Silva to apply the tag for the second out.

After Simmons retired the next batter for the third out, the Roadrunners rode the momentum into the bottom half, when they scored two runs to put the game away.

After Jordan Ballin drew a leadoff walk, Caden Miller smashed a double into the outfield in right.

Ballin was holding up at third, but scampered home to make it 2-1 as the relay throw from second baseman Cade Sanchez to shortstop Jake Barron went awry for an error.

Sam Simmons (6-1) pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth to earn the victory. With the performance, he lowered his earned run average to 1.63. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Miller, on second base after the double, took third on Silva’s sacrifice bunt and then scored on an electrifying play.

On Lane Haworth’s hard ground ball to the right side, Islanders first baseman Jackson Smith fielded it and fired to the plate.

Miller slid under the tag, giving the Roadrunners the 3-1 lead.

Simmons retired Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in order in the ninth to seal the Roadrunners’ second victory over the Islanders this month and their 18th in 25 games overall this season.

“I thought we played well,” UTSA coach Pat Hallmark said. “I’m proud of the win. Everybody wants to hit, and I’m sure some individual hitters would like a better night, but winning is hard and hitting is hard.”

One game after splurging with 17 hits at Florida Atlantic, the Roadrunners were limited to a season low of three against five A&M-Corpus Christi pitchers.

Said Hallmark, “Besides playing the position of quarterback well in (NCAA Division I the NFL, hitting a baseball in Division I and (major league baseball) is the hardest thing to do in sports.

“So, we can’t hit every night. I’m not disappointed in the hitting at all. We played a really good game.”

Hallmark used seven pitchers, including front-line regulars Connor Kelley, Christian Okerholm, Christopher Gutierrez and Simmons.

Kelley, who sat out last weekend after two straight performances in which he struggled with command, pitched a scoreless fourth and fifth.

He allowed only one hit and didn’t walk a batter.

“A very encouraging outing,” Hallmark said. “It looked like he was under control, not trying to over-throw, and he was still throwing 95.

“That’s what we’ve been talking about. Connor’s been working hard. Nobody wants it more than Connor, so I’m happy for him.”

Relief pitcher Connor Kelley struck out three and walked one in two scoreless innings. He allowed only an infield single. – Photo by Joe Alexander

In his post-game interview session, Hallmark was asked how he liked the throw from Detlefsen. “How about it?” Hallmark replied.

“That was unbelievable,” he said. “Great play, with catcher Jacob) Silva hanging on to the ball while the kid was sliding in there. It was a beautiful play.

“I love baseball for plays like that. Kind of artistic.”

Hallmark said Arquette’s play was a great one, as well, akin to a dance move.

“Again, I’m getting a little corny with the art,” he said. “The older I get, the more I think the game of baseball is an art. If you play it right, it’s an art, and those two plays were art.

“It was beautiful.”

In a way, the win was just what the Roadrunners needed leading into a weekend series with their American Conference rivals, the East Carolina Pirates.

They had struggled in recent weeks with defense. In one four-game stretch, they made 11 errors.

Hallmark said earlier in the week that defense would be a focus as the Roadrunners try to defend their regular-season conference championship.

On Tuesday, he said it was good “for one night. You don’t want to hang your hat on one game, because you need defense, over and over and over.

“But we did (play well),” he said. “On Sunday (in Florida) we played good defense. Tonight we played good defense.

“So I’d like to give us about a 10-game stretch. Not that we’re going to be perfect in all 10, but after 10, if you have eight or nine good defensive games, you start feeling like you can do it.”

Caden Miller scores in the bottom of the eighth inning to give UTSA a two-run lead. – Photo by Joe Alexander

Pitching has also been a concern for the Roadrunners recently, but in their last four games, they seem to have corrected some things. UTSA has allowed only one run in two of its last four games.

“It’s something we take pride in,” Simmons said. “We know that we have kind of drifted from that. But I believe that as a staff, that’s our focus. We are back on that.

“It means something to us. We take pride in what we do. Coming into the next series … I feel like the guys’ mindsets are in the right spot.”

Records

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 11-13
UTSA 18-7

Coming up

East Carolina at UTSA, Friday, 6 p.m.
East Carolina at UTSA, Saturday, 2 p.m.
East Carolina at UTSA, Sunday, 1 p.m.

Notable

East Carolina fell to 15-10-1 on the season Tuesday afternoon after the Duke Blue Devils rallied in the ninth inning for a 9-8 victory in Durham.

East Carolina’s next game is Friday at 6 p.m. against UTSA at Roadrunner Field.

Drew Detlefsen hit three home runs in his last five games leading into the matchup with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

He had two on March 15 against UT Arlington and then added another one on Sunday in the weekend series at FAU.

Detlefsen entered the mid-week game against the Islanders leading UTSA in homers (nine) and RBIs (31).

Christian Hallmark produced UTSA’s first run of the game in the second inning with an RBI single. – Photo by Joe Alexander