WSU baseball swept by UTSA in doubleheader - Spokane, North Idaho News & Weather KHQ.com

WSU baseball swept by UTSA in doubleheader

Courtesy Washington State athletics

SAN ANTONIO – Washington State was swept by UTSA in a nonconference baseball doubleheader at Roadrunner Field, Saturday.

The Roadrunners (11-5) captured the opener 12-3 and won the nightcap 13-10. UTSA collected 29 hits in the twinbill while the Cougars (9-5) registered 26.

"We didn't fight enough today," Washington State Head Coach Donnie Marbut said. "A team takes on the personality of its coach, so it's my fault, not the players. I wasn't ready to fight enough today and, because of that, we didn't play good baseball."

UTSA scored in each of the first-three innings to take a 4-0 lead and chase Cougar starter Tanner Chleborad (2-2) in game one.

The Cougars got on the board in the fifth when Austin Pernell, Trek Stemp and Collin Slaybaugh delivered consecutive singles off UTSA's Brock Hartson (2-1). Washington State scratched out an unearned run in the seventh against Hartson and Adam Nelubowich doubled home a run in the eighth to account for the Cougar scoring. The Roadrunners scored at least one run against each of Washington State's four relievers to earn the lopsided victory.

In the nightcap, the Cougars jumped out to a 6-1 lead after an inning and a half and chased UTSA starter Clint Sharp. In the first, Stemp led off with a single, moved to third on a single by Nick Tanielu, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Jason Monda.

In the second, Ben Roberts and Matt Mendenhall walked to open the frame followed by a Trace Tam Sing's sacrifice bunt. Stemp gave the Cougars a 3-1 lead with a two-run single. Tanielu was hit by a pitch and both runners moved up on a wild pitch. Two batters later, Yale Rosen hit a three-run, opposite field home run off UTSA reliever Jordan Pacheco (3-0).

The Roadrunners closed within 6-4 after three before Tanielu's solo home run in the fourth increased the Cougars' lead to three. UTSA picked up two more runs in the fourth to creep back within a run at 7-6 and end Washington State starter Scott Simon's afternoon.

In the sixth, the Roadrunners scored seven times, with Sam Triece (0-1), Richie Ochoa and Sean Hartnett all touched for at least one run.

The Cougars scored in the seventh on a two-out, RBI-single by Nelubowich and scored twice in the ninth. In the final inning, the first run scored on a wild pitch and Pernell's RBI-single capped the scoring.

The four-game series concludes, Sunday with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. Central/11 a.m. Pacific.