April 24, 2009

Box Score

THIBODAUX, La. - UTSA used a four-run 11th inning to claim an 5-1 extra-inning win over Nicholls Friday night in game one of a three-game series.

A double down the left-field line from Ryan Rummel put UTSA on top 3-1, breaking the 1-1 tie in the top of the 11th. The Roadrunners padded the extra-inning lead on a pair of sacrifice bunts and a home run to left from Jose Hernandez for a 5-1 lead.

With the win, the Colonels drop to 17-23 (8-14 SLC) on the season, while UTSA improves to 23-18 (12-10 SLC).

Senior righthander Ross Larson (New Lenox, Ill./Lurleen B. Wallace CC) falls to 1-3 on the year after giving up all four Roadrunner runs in the 11th. Larson threw 3.0 innings of relief, allowing four runs (one earned) on five hits.

Nicholls tied it up in the ninth as Jacob Knight (Thibodaux, La./E.D. White Catholic) scored on a basehit to right center off the bat of Jason Dennis (Mobile, Ala./Alabama Southern CC). Knight knocked a one-out, bloop single to right field and reached scoring position on a wild pitch and passed ball.

"We had runners in scoring position with less than two outs several times and were unable to put the ball in play," said Head Coach Chip Durham. "If we'd managed to get any of those runs in, that run in the ninth wouldn't have been the tying run - it would have been the go ahead run."

The Roadrunners broke a scoreless game in the top of the fifth, plating a run on an RBI single from Marshal Davis that brought Jason Mohn, who led off the inning with a triple to left center, around for a 1-0 UTSA advantage.

For UTSA, starter Red Patterson threw nine innings, allowing one unearned run on 11 hits and striking out nine Colonel batters.

Jarret Dunnam (Saraland, Ala./Alabama Southern CC), who made his 10th start of the season for the Colonels, fanned six batters in the loss. The lefthander scattered one run on 12 hits in eight innings of work.

"Dunnam pitched a great ball game," Durham noted, "and I'm really proud of the way he pitched and competed for us."

The Colonels will attempt to even the series Saturday, taking on the Roadrunners in game two. First pitch is slated for 3 p.m.

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