Courtesy of Wichita State Athletics
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Wichita State got a complete game from Caden Favors in game one and a dramatic late inning rally in game two to sweep at doubleheader from UTSA, besting the Roadrunners by scores of 11-2 and 8-4 on Saturday at Roadrunner Field. It is the first time this season an opponent has handed UTSA an AAC home series loss.
Game One
The Shockers rolled to a comfortable win behind Favors (7-4), who tossed his second complete game of the season after working through some first inning struggles. The southpaw allowed hits to the first two batters he faced, leading to a first inning run that gave UTSA an early 1-0 lead. From that point on, Favors allowed just three hits and one unearned run over the final eight frames, retiring 11 of the last 12 Roadrunners to close out the win.
The WSU offense gave him plenty of support with a trio of three-run innings. With the game tied 1-1 in the third, Kam Durnin delivered with the bases loaded and two outs, ripping a line drive through the left side that skipped by UTSA left fielder Caleb Hill to the warning track. The single combined with the error scored all three runners for a 4-1 lead.
More two-out magic blew the game open in the sixth. Lane Haworth, Jordan Rogers and Derek Williams all lashed two-out RBI singles to expand the advantage to 7-2. A Camden Johnson run-scoring single in the eighth made it 8-2, then Wichita State tacked on three more runs in the top of the ninth. Durnin crushed a long solo home run to give him a season-high four RBI, followed by a Haworth RBI triple and a Rogers RBI single to produce the final margin.
The Shockers banged out 15 hits, getting three from Haworth and two apiece from Rogers, Williams, Durnin, Johnson and Jaden Gustafson.
UTSA ace Ulises Quiroga (6-1) took his first loss of the season, allowing five runs on five hits over 5.1 innings.
Game Two
After the offensive outburst in the opener, Wichita State was silenced for the first six innings by UTSA's Braylon Owens, making his first start of the season. The Shockers mustered just three singles against the right-hander, while the Roadrunners struck for single runs in the first and second to stake Owens to a 2-0 lead.
In the seventh, Durnin coaxed a one-out walk that spelled the end of the day for Owens. UTSA elected to bring in reliever Ruger Riojas, who threw 42 pitches out of the bullpen in Friday's series opener. The Shockers greeted Riojas with three consecutive singles, including an RBI knock from Ryan Callahan that got the Shockers on the board at 2-1. With the bases loaded and still just one out, the Roadrunners called upon closer Fischer Kingsberry to face the top of the WSU order. Haworth cracked his first pitch to deep left for a game-tying sacrifice fly, then Rogers battled back from a 1-2 count to draw a walk that reloaded the bases.
Williams put the Shockers in front with a hit by pitch, pushing home Callahan with the go-ahead run for a 3-2 lead. Head coach Brian Green summoned Josh Livingston as a pinch-hitter and he answered the call with a towering grand slam to right field, stretching the Wichita State advantage to 7-2. Livingston became the first Shocker in program history with three pinch-hit home runs in a season and the first with a pinch-hit grand slam since Zach Reding in 2016.
Haworth tacked on an insurance run with a fielder's choice grounder in the eighth and the Shocker bullpen took it the rest of the way. UTSA got a two-run homer from Alexander Olivo in the ninth, but Nate Adler retired the next two hitters to secure the series win.
Reliever Tyler Dobbs (6-4) earned the win with two perfect innings, striking out two. Hunter Holmes contributed four outs before handing the ball to Adler in the ninth.
Starter Brady Hamilton pitched brilliantly after allowing the two early runs, finishing his outing by retiring the final 12 hitters he faced. The freshman ended with 5.0 innings of work, conceding four hits and two runs.
Riojas (8-3) took the loss for UTSA, giving up three runs without recording an out.
The Shockers return home for the final series of the season at Eck Stadium, squaring off against Charlotte. First pitch of Friday's series opener is scheduled for 6 p.m.