San Antonio, Texas - Three multi-run innings helped San Jose State to an 11-7 victory in Western Athletic Conference action at UTSA on Friday.
After letting a 3-0 lead slip away, the Spartans (9-18, 3-2 WAC) strung together for straight scoring innings to regain the lead and take the second game in a row from the Roadrunners (15-12, 1-4 WAC).
Both teams showed off the bats in the game going for a combined 19 runs on 27 hits with four home runs, including Nick Schulz's eighth-inning shot.
"I thought it was a gutsy performance by the guys," said San Jose State head coach Dave Nakama. "We showed great awareness and talent in the field. I think Andre Mercurio's catch in center field may have been the best catch I've ever seen. We also came up with clutch hits when runners were on base which was the difference."
The Spartans got three runs in the first inning on a couple of sacrifice flies and an RBI-single by Matt Lopez. After blowing the lead, and trailing 5-3, San Jose State put up four runs in the fifth inning and backed it up with two more in the sixth for a 9-5 lead.
Shortstop Ricky Acosta started the fifth inning rally with the first of six Spartan hits, a triple to right-center field. Tim Quiery, Sheldon Daquioag, Matt Carroll, Matt Lopez and Schulz all registered RBI-singles in the inning.
"We did a good job getting runners on and then getting that big hit to get them in," Nakama said. "It was good to put the pressure on them with those big scoring innings."
UTSA did not go away easily as they outhit San Jose State 14-13 and had three home runs from Daniel Rockett (5), RJ Perucki (7) and Riley Good (1).
Schulz's first homer of the season gave SJSU a 10-7 lead in the seventh and Sheldon Daquioag came around to score on a throwing error in the eighth to make it 11-7.
Jason Kafka entered the game to pitch for the Spartans in the fourth inning and improved to 2-2 with a win in 1.2 innings of work. Jordan Pacheco started the game for UTSA and wound up with his first loss of the season, falling to 6-1.
The two teams are back at it tomorrow in the series finale starting at 1:00 p.m. CST. With a chance for a sweep, San Jose State will send left-hander Johnny Melero (0-2, 7.25) to the hill. UTSA will send righty Brock Hartson (2-3, 3.58).