SAN ANTONIO – Shane Daughety engineered a near flawless game plan on the mound Saturday, aiding UTSA to its sixth win in the first seven games, a feat last accomplished in 1994.
Daughety allowed no runs on four hits and one walk, while fanning six in the Roadrunners 4-0 triumph over Notre Dame (4-2) in the Irish Alamo Classic at Wolff Stadium.
The Irish's starting hurler, Alex Rao, matched Daughety pitch-for-pitch in a pitcher's duel through the first four frames. Rao flinched first and after walking the bases full two outs in the fifth, he was lifted and replaced by Joe Boyle. Boyle delayed the inevitable for the hosts, escaping the jam with a strikeout.
On a night that offense was at a premium for both teams, UTSA's backstop, Nick Thornquist, initiated havoc for the opposing staff. In the sixth, his hustled out the box forced a quick throw that sailed on the shortstop, permitting Thornquist to duck under the tag. Bryan Sturges was hit by a pitch and Taylor Barber walked to load the bags. A wild pitch moved everyone up 90 feet and Thornquist tallied the first run of the game. With two outs, Boyle doled out three free passes – the last two on full counts – bumping the Roadrunners lead up to 3-0.
Thornquist led off the seventh with a slow roller down the third-base line, reaching safely with an infield hit and advancing to second on an errant throw. He moved to third on a ground out and scooted home with the fourth run of the night on a wild pitch. Every run by UTSA was unearned the last three occurred with two outs in the inning.
Hunter Mason relieved Daughety before the bottom of the seventh and continued to bewilder the Notre Dame hitters, conceding lone base hits in the seventh and eighth innings. Mason dispatched the first two batters in the ninth on four pitches but the Irish would not go quietly.
A double and three singles in succession brought the potential winning run to the plate. Mason slammed the door shut on anymore thoughts of a rally by striking out Eric Gilgenbach.
UP NEXT:
UTSA faces off with head coach Pat Hallmark's former team in the first of two meeting this season Sunday at 12 p.m. The Roadrunners are 3-0 in the Irish Alamo Classic.
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