GRAND PRAIRIE, Texas—UTSA (34-23) defeated Bakersfield (37-22) 1-0 in the championship game of Pool A at the Western Athletic Conference Tournament Saturday morning at QuikTrip Park.
John Welborn led off the top of the fifth with a double for UTSA, but at that point, the game became delayed for almost two hours on Friday night due to weather. The decision was then made to resume the game on Saturday morning.
At that point, Chuck Buchanan (R-Sr., Las Vegas, Nev., AllanHancockCollege) relieved Scott Brattvet (Sr., Trabuco Canyon, Calif., Santa AnaCollege) to face UTSA leadoff hitter Riley Good. On the second pitch after the resumption, Good fouled off a pitch which injured CSUB starting catcher Cael Brockmeyer (Jr., Vineyard Haven, Mass., Avon Old Farms HS) and forced Brockmeyer to leave the game. Frank Martinez (Sr., Riverside, Calif., East LA College) who was already in the game as the DH, came onto catch, forcing Buchanan as the pitcher into Brockmeyer's cleanup spot.
Buchanan got Good to ground out to Martinez for the first out. The 6-5 lefty then struck out Daniel Rockett for out No. 2 and retired R.J Perucki with a fly out to right to end the frame. UTSA closer Matt Sims, who pitched 6.2 innings on Wednesday, came on to start the fifth for the Roadrunners. Sims struck out the first two Bakersfield hitters he faced before walking Jordie Hein (So., Scottsdale, Ariz., Chapparal HS). Hein was thrown out at second attempting to steal to conclude matters for CSUB.
Tony Ramirez opened the top of the sixth with a single up the middle. Jesse Baker used a sacrifice bunt to move to Ramirez to second and brought Mike Warren up who doubled down the leftfield line to make it 1-0 for UTSA. Sims retired Bakersfield in order with a four-pitch bottom of the sixth. Both pitchers set down the opposition in order in the seventh.
Buchanan made it eight in a row with a 1-2-3 eighth. Kevin Younger (Sr., Bakersfield, Calif., Liberty HS) walked to begin the bottom of the eighth. Chance Gusbeth (Fr., Lancaster, Calif., Desert Christian HS) sacrificed Younger to second to bring up Hein who grounded out to second but moved Younger to third. Oscar Sanay (Jr., Chula Vista, Calif., Bonita Vista HS) popped out to third for the final out of the inning.
With one out in the top of the ninth, John Bormann singled up the middle, but Buchanan got the next two outs. Tyler Shryock (Jr., Tehachapi, Calif., Desert Christian HS) led off the ninth by lining out to shortstop. Dylan Christensen (Sr., Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., SaddlebackCollege) flew out to right center for the second out. Pinch-hitter Allen Gwynn (R-Jr., Santa Paula, Calif., VenturaCollege) fouled out to the catcher to end the game.
Sims did not allow a hit in five innings of relief to earn the victory. Sims combined with starter Nolan Trabanino on a three-hitter. John Bormann had three of the nine UTSA hits.
~www.GoRunners.com~
