By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay

The cheering at hot and steamy Roadrunner Field began early Tuesday afternoon, with most of the ruckus being raised by University of the Incarnate Word Cardinals fans celebrating a fast start by the visiting team.

UIW blasted three home runs in a five-run first inning and another one in a three-run second. At that point, the Cardinals were ahead by six and appeared as if they might have generated enough momentum to complete an improbable two-game season sweep of UTSA.

The home team had other ideas.

Taking advantage of over-matched UIW pitchers and a favorable wind out of the south, UTSA scored four runs in the third inning and added 14 more in a wild fifth en route to a 22-10 victory before 1,186 fans.

In the end, when the game was called after the top of the seventh on the run rule, the Roadrunners had silenced the visitors with season highs in runs and hits (20) en route to their 30th victory, avenging a 13-11 loss to the Cardinals on March 31 at UIW.

UTSA outfielder Lane Haworth said players in the home team dugout weren’t paying too much attention when the visitors — both fans and players — were whooping it up after the early outburst.

“We knew that we were going to score a lot of runs,” Haworth said. “It was just a matter of time. When they were up 8-2, we got stuck behind there for a little bit. But we all knew that we were going to score a bunch of runs.”

The top half of the fifth inning was remarkable in many ways. UTSA entered it trailing by a score of 10-6 and came out of it leading 20-10.

The Roadrunners sent 17 batters to the plate and produced nine hits, including two each by Josh Arquette, Jordan Ballin and Cade Sadler.

Arquette started the outburst with a leadoff homer and Haworth ended it with a two-run blast for his second round-tripper of the game.

After the game, UTSA coach Pat Hallmark said UIW is a good team despite its record (18-24) and RPI

“We talked about it before the game,” the coach said. “Both the first time we played ’em and this time, (we knew) that they were going to get hits. You’re not going to stop them from hitting. I don’t care who’s pitching.”

Hallmark said the challenge centered on how his pitchers would respond after the Cardinals started to hit and score.

In that regard, he said, they did well, walking only four batters all night. UTSA’s rotation against UIW consisted of Cody DeMont, Ryan Self, Blayne Lyne, Sam Simmons and Christopher Gutierrez.

While DeMont and Self took a beating in each of the first two innings, surrendering eight runs on seven hits and four home runs between them, the others combined to hold the Cardinals to two runs on three hits.

Lyne, in only his sixth appearance of the season, pitched two and a third innings. Entering the game in the third with UTSA trailing 8-2, he threw strikes and kept the Cardinals off the scoreboard for two innings.

In the fifth, he faltered with his command and gave up a couple of runs. But, all in all, it was a good show for the 6-foot-6 native of Corpus Christi, a transfer from Texas A&M.

Simmons (7-3) earned the victory, entering in the fifth, working two and a third scoreless while yielding only two hits and walking none.

Gutierrez struck out the last man before the game was called.

“I’m not saying we knew we were going to win when we were down (8-2), but there wasn’t a lot of panic, either. It was just, OK, let’s play nine innings. Give us our 27 outs, and let’s see where we are.

“Again, I did not know we would come back, certainly not like that. But I knew we had a chance.

“We’re not out (of it) on a night like this with the wind shooting out, and both teams are thin on their front-line pitching. Fourteen runs (in an inning) is not that uncommon.

“All over the country, on Tuesday, this late in the year.”

For UIW, Drake Anderson had three hits and scored twice and Cole Tabor went two for three, homering in his first two at bats, in the first and the second.

Tabor, from Reagan High School, finished with three RBI. Colin Cymbalista also homered, hitting a three-run shot in the first inning, and he had four RBI.

Jake Weaver also had a first-inning homer off DeMont.

The Roadrunners, who also hit four home runs, responded with several players enjoying big nights.

Ballin went four for four. Sadler had three hits, including his second career home run. Both Haworth and Arquette notched two hits and five RBIs.

Records

Incarnate Word 18-24 (8-16 Southland)
UTSA 30-14 (12-5 American)

Coming up

Wichita State at UTSA, Friday, 6 p.m.
Wichita State at UTSA, Saturday, 2 p.m.
Wichita State at UTSA, Sunday, 1 p.m.