SAN ANTONIO – Leyton Barry's deep single scored Shane Sirdashney with the walk-off run and led UTSA baseball to a 6-5 walk-off win over No. 2 Stanford in 10 innings, on Monday afternoon at Roadrunner Field.
UTSA (7-1) won its fifth straight with the walk-off victory over Stanford (6-2), who earned a No. 2 national ranking on Monday leading into the game with the Roadrunners.
It marked the highest ranked win for the Roadrunners since taking down No. 1 Baylor in 2012 at Wolff Stadium. The No. 2 Cardinal extended their winning streak to five games entering the matchup after cruising through the Round Rock Classic over the weekend in the Austin area, where they earned wins over Louisiana-Lafayette, Indiana and No. 2 Arkansas by a combined score of 23-1.
The Cardinal was the highest ranked team UTSA has ever hosted on campus, in any sport, with firm records dating back to 2006.
Sirdashney started UTSA's 10th inning rally by reaching on a two-base error and moved to third after a sacrifice bunt from shortstop Kody Darcy. Barry, a native of Houston, worked the count to 3-1 before lacing the walk-off single into left-centerfield, over the head of Stanford All-America centerfielder Brock Jones, to plate Sirdashney from third and hand the Roadrunners the thrilling win. The hit extended Barry's hitting streak to 12 games, dating back to 2021.
BARRY! Leyton delivers the walk-off single to deep left-centerfield, scoring Sirdashney as the Roadrunners post their fifth straight win, a 6-5 win over No. 2 Stanford. #BirdsUp 🤙 pic.twitter.com/B76uTDtwo9
— UTSA Baseball ⚾️ (@UTSABSB) February 28, 2022
John Chomko (1-0) provided late-game heroics on the mound for the Roadrunners, making his first appearance of the eight-game season. He worked a shutout ninth and 10th inning, with four strikeouts, to earn the winner.
The Roadrunners collected 11 hits, with three doubles and two triples in the win, led by a 3-for-5, two-RBI outing from Sirdashney. Jonathan Tapia had a double in a two-hit game, with a walk, stretching his hitting streak to seven. Garret Poston had two hits, including a triple, with Barry, Chase Keng, Ryan Flores and Josh Killeen each adding knocks.
Freshman Ryan Beaird worked 2.0 innings, allowing two hits and one run, walking one and striking out one. Grant Miller worked a shutout inning in the third before giving way to Drake Smith, who worked the fourth, allowing a solo shot. Allen Smith worked the fifth, allowing a run on a hit with a strikeout. Daniel Shafer worked shutout frames in the sixth and seventh innings, walking one and striking out four. Reece Easterling allowed the two game-tying runs to score in the eighth, striking out one before giving way to Chomko.
Ty Uber worked three-plus innings, allowing five hits and four runs – two earned – striking out four. Justin Moore allowed a run in an inning before giving way to Max Meier to open the fifth, who worked a shutout frame. Left-handed flamethrower Ryan Bruno worked two shutout innings, fanning four and working around a leadoff triple in the seventh and a walk. Cody Jensen worked the eighth before giving way to slider specialist Tommy O'Rourke (0-1), who suffered the loss after allowing the unearned run to score.
The Roadrunners will return to action on Friday at 6 p.m., hosting Southern in a three-game series at Roadrunner Field on CUSA TV.
The Cardinal struck first in the top of the second inning, getting a leadoff double from Joe Lomuscio, who took third on a wild pitch and scored on a single up the middle from Owen Cobb.
UTSA evened up the game in the bottom of the second. Flores reached on a dropped infield fly and motored to third on a single into the gap from Poston. Sirdashney worked the count full and singled into left to score Flores.
The Roadrunners took a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the third, starting with a Tapia hit by pitch, the 40th of his career. He moved to scoring position after Keng reached on a fielder's choice, narrowly avoiding a tag from the second baseman, and took third after a failed pickoff attempt. Flores then scored Tapia with a sacrifice fly to centerfield.
Carter Graham belted a leadoff solo shot to leftfield to tie the game at 2-2 in the top of the fourth, his first of the year.
Poston opened the fourth inning with a triple down the rightfield line, scoring after Sirdashney singled to left. With two outs and after Barry reached on a fielder's choice – with Sirdashney out at third – Tapia doubled into left-centerfield gap. Keng then scored the pair with a double into the left-centerfield gap, giving UTSA a 5-2 lead.
Stanford rallied in the top of the fifth, getting a leadoff single from Eddie Park, who took second on a wild pitch and third on a passed ball. Austin Kretzschmar scored Park with a sac fly to deep centerfield.
Graham struck again with a two-run, game-tying blast in the eighth inning, scoring Kretzchmar, who led off with a single.
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