University of Houston
UTSA
Baseball Enjoys Big Win at UTSA on Tuesday
5/13/2008 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 13, 2008
SAN ANTONIO - Senior outfielder Jake Stewart went 4-for-5 with two runs, and junior infielder Jimmy Cesario blasted two home runs to help lead the University of Houston baseball team to a 14-4 win Tuesday at Roadrunner Field during the Cougars' final non-conference game of the season.
After playing a scoreless first two innings, the Cougars scored the first runs with two in the third and broke the game open with seven in the fourth and three more in the fifth.
Every Cougar starter pounded out at least one hit in the game as UH outhit the Roadrunners 17-10 with 10 of those going for extra bases. Cesario finished the night 2-for-4 with three runs and three RBIs, while senior outfielder Bryan Tully batted 2-for-4 with a run, double, triple and game-high four RBI.
Sophomore centerfielder Zak Presley batted 2-for-3 with two runs, a home run and three RBIs, while freshman DH Caleb Ramsey went 2-for-5 with a double and RBI. Senior second baseman Ryan Lormand batted 2-for-3 with a double and three runs scored.
UH starter Donnie Joseph picked up the win and improved to 1-1 after holding the Roadrunners to one hit in two shutout innings.
UTSA starter Steven Vasquez collected the loss and fell to 7-4 after giving up five runs off nine hits and three walks with three strikeouts in 3.1 innings.
Zach Etheredge went 3-for-3 with two runs, a home run and RBI, while Aaron Powell batted 2-for-3. Phillip Allen also went 2-for-3 with an RBI in the losing effort.
With the win, the Cougars improved to 31-21 overall, while UTSA fell to 37-15 overall. The Cougars also exacted some revenge on the Roadrunners, who enjoyed an 11-9 win in 12 innings at Cougar Field on April 30.
The Cougars wrap up their non-conference schedule this weekend when they play host to Conference USA rival Marshall in a three-game series at Cougar Field. That series begins with 6:30 p.m. games on Thursday and Friday before wrapping up at 1 p.m., Saturday.
Fans should note that the series begins on Thursday, a day earlier than league series regularly start. C-USA teams play Thursday through Saturday during the final weekend of the regular season as teams prepare to travel to the C-USA Championship.
In addition, all three games this weekend will be a part of Little League Night/Day at Cougar Field. All players 12 years old and younger who come to Cougar Field in their Little League uniforms will receive free admission.
Fans can hear all Cougar Baseball games live at UHCougars.com by clicking the appropriate links. Jeremy Branham will call the play-by-play action while former letterwinner Pat Cauley provides color analysis.
Fans always can follow live stats by clicking on the Gametracker link.
The Cougars put their first mark on the scoreboard in the third inning. Stewart led off with a double off the wall in left field and scored when Cesario smashed a two-run, opposite field blast off the scoreboard in left center for a 2-0 Cougar lead.
The lead was trimmed in the next half inning when Etheredge led off with a home run to left center for a 2-1 Houston advantage.
In the fourth inning, the Cougars pushed their lead to 9-1 after rapping out seven hits. Blake Kelso smashed a single through the left side and moved to third when Ramsey was caught in a rundown between second and third on a steal attempt. After moving to third following Stewart's third hit of the night, Kelso teamed with Stewart on a double steal to score. Stewart took third when the throw to second base sailed into center field and scored on Bryan Pounds' single into right center.
Following a UTSA pitching change and back-to-back, two-out walks to Lormand and Presley, Tully laced a bases-clearing triple down the left-field line and scored when Chris Wallace lined an RBI-single into left center. Ramsey then slapped an RBI-double down the left-field line to hand the Cougars a 9-1 lead.
In the fifth inning, Cesario and Lormand drew back-to-back, two-out walks and scored when Presley blasted a home run to left center for a 12-1 UH lead.
The Roadrunners trimmed the deficit to 12-2 on Allen's RBI-single in the bottom of the frame.
The score remained that way until the seventh inning when Cesario led off with a towering home run to right field.
UTSA used the long ball in the bottom of the inning, pulling to within 14-4 on Michael Rockett's two-run homer to left field.
