UTSA’s Braylon Owens was masterful Saturday in yielding only one run on three hits in 6 and 1/3 innings against the Wichita State Shockers. Owens didn’t get a decision as the Shockers rallied late for an 8-4 victory to sweep a doubleheader. – Photo by Joe Alexander
By Jerry Briggs
Special for The JB Replay
Pinch hitter Josh Livingston ripped a grand slam to highlight a seven-run seventh inning as the Wichita State Shockers rallied for an 8-4 victory over UTSA and a sweep of a doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Roadrunner Field.
After winning 11-2 in the first game, the Shockers fell behind 2-0 early. UTSA, sparked by Mason Lytle, scored one run in the first inning and another in the second to get off to a fast start in front of the home fans.
The game continued to go UTSA’s way with pitcher Braylon Owens putting on perhaps his best performance of the season. Owens blanked the Shockers for the first six innings. In the seventh, he retired the first batter he faced and walked the second, prompting UTSA coach Pat Hallmark to make a change.
Ruger Riojas, however, couldn’t stop the Shockers. He gave up three straight hits, with the Shockers scoring once to pull within 2-1. At that point, Fischer Kingsbery entered in relief. But it didn’t slow down the visiting team.
Mason Lytle leads off the bottom of the first inning with a double. He later scored the first run of the game. – Photo by Joe Alexander
A sacrifice fly brought in a run to tie it and then Kingsbery issued a walk and hit a batter to bring in another run. With a one-run lead and the bases loaded, the Shockers called on Livingston to pinch hit, and he unleashed a swing that that sent a ball sailing over the right field wall for a 7-2 lead.
Wichita State tacked on another run in the eighth. Meanwhile, the Shockers’ pitching seemed to get stronger as the game went on. Brady Hamilton, Tyler Dobbs and Hunter Holmes and kept the Roadrunners off the scoreboard for six straight innings, from the third through the eighth.
In the ninth, the Roadrunners made it interesting against Nate Adler. Matt King doubled and Alex Olivo hit a two-run homer, slicing it down the line and off the left field foul pole. At that point, Adler retired Diego Diaz on a ground ball and struck out Mark Henning to end it.
Series glance
Friday: UTSA 6, Wichita State 5
Saturday: Wichita State 11, UTSA 2
Saturday: Wichita State 8, UTSA 4
Records
Wichita State 24-26, 10-11
UTSA 27-20, 13-8
Coming up
South Florida at UTSA, next weekend, May 10-12
Game 1 recap
Kam Durnin homered and produced four RBI, and lefthander Caden Favors pitched a complete game Saturday afternoon, allowing the Wichita State Shockers to snap a four-game losing streak with an 11-2 victory over UTSA at Roadrunner Field.
Wichita State’s Caden Favors pitched a complete game to beat UTSA 11-2 in the opener of Saturday’s doubleheader at Roadrunner Field.- Photo by Joe Alexander
With the win, coming in the first game of a doubleheader, the Shockers evened a three-game series at one win apiece. The teams were scheduled to play the third game Saturday night.
Durnin drove in a run with a ground ball in the second inning. In the third, he singled and drove in two more, and in the ninth, he drilled a solo homer as the Shockers poured it on with three runs, expanding their lead to nine.
Favors (7-4) allowed only five hits and one earned run to earn the victory. Spotting his fastball and mixing in off-speed stuff, he shut out the Roadrunners from the fourth through the ninth innings.
Ulises Quiroga (6-1) took his first loss of the season. He worked five and 1/3 innings, giving up five runs (four of them earned) on five hits.
The Shockers continued to hit the Roadrunners bullpen, which yielded five runs on 10 hits. For the Roadrunners, the final score ended up being their widest margin of defeat this season.
UTSA entered play Saturday in second place, two games behind East Carolina, in the American Athletic Conference standings.
UTSA third baseman Ty Tilson has his eye on the ball during the opener of a doubleheader against Wichita State. – Photo by Joe Alexander