February 26, 2007
San Antonio – The University of Texas-San Antonio built up a big early lead and held off a determined St. Mary’s University rally in an 8-5 win for the Roadrunners in baseball action Monday night at Wolff Stadium.
Trailing 7-0 heading into the fifth inning, the Rattlers mounted a rally. Jason Anderson (Sr., Lancaster, Calif.) and Ricky Gonzalez (Jr., Houston) walked to lead off the inning. Ray Camacho (Sr., Converse) then lined a double to right-center, scoring Anderson with the first run of the game for the Rattlers. Bobby Freeman (Jr., Fair Oaks Ranch) then reached on an error, scoring Gonzalez to cut the deficit to 7-2. Michael Brzezinski (So., Helotes) hit a fly ball to center, allowing Camacho to score the third run of the inning. That fly ball chased Roadrunner starter Blake Brannon. One out later Cody Pyle (Sr., Spring Branch) singled to score Freeman and make it a 7-4.
The Roadrunners added a run in the sixth inning made the score 8-4. St. Mary’s then posted another rally in the ninth inning. With one out Camacho walked and was replaced by pinch runner Nate Wilson (Sr., San Antonio). One out later Brzezinski reached on the third UTSA error of the game and Ryan Femath (Sr., El Paso) singled to center, scoring Wilson with the fifth run of the game. Pyle then walked to load the bases with two outs. J.T. Mackey came in from the bullpen and forced Jonathon Cisneros (Fr., San Antonio) to ground out to first base, ending the threat, and the game.
Brandon Key (So., Katy) was the first of six Rattler pitchers in his first start of the season. He fell to 0-1, allowing five runs, three earned, on six hits and three walks, while striking out four in 3 1/3 innings of work. Josh Blakely (1-0) won his first game of the season, allowing one unearned run on three hits and a walk over 4 1/3 innings of work in relief. Mackey earned his first save of the season.
Pyle had two base hits to lead the Rattler offense. James Keithley led the UTSA offense with three hits.
With the loss the Rattlers fell to 9-4 overall this season, while UTSA improved to 2-7. St. Mary’s will return to action on Friday when they travel to Goodwell, Okla., to face Oklahoma Panhandle State University in a doubleheader, starting at noon.