Comeback Falls Short, Ute Baseball Falls 5-4

Friday, February 10

San Antonio, Texas

5:00 PM

University of Utah

1-3

Texas-San Antonio

1-1

Utah

UTSA Roadrunners

2/10/2006 12:00 AM | Baseball

Box Score

Feb. 10, 2006

Box Score

SAN ANTONIO, Texas -- The University of Utah baseball team dropped a 5-4 decision to Texas-San Antonio Friday night at Wolff Municipal Stadium. After trailing 5-0 after four innings, the Utes' comeback attempt fell one run short.

UTSA opened the scoring in the second inning. The Roadrunners lit the scoreboard for three runs on four hits against Utah starter Lucas Trinnaman (Jr., Alpine, Utah). Texas-San Antonio scored two unearned runs in the fourth when Ute left fielder Corey Shimada (Fr., Murray, Utah) misplayed a fly ball. The Roadrunners took advantage of the miscue to take a 5-0 lead.

"It was really cold and windy," Utah head coach Bill Kinneberg said. "It was a tough play. Corey over-ran it and dropped the ball trying to get back to it."

Utah pitcher Josh Cooper (Sr., Pueblo, Colo.) took over for Trinnaman in the fifth. He held Texas-San Antonio in check for four innings, allowing just one hit and striking out five. Cooper's performance allowed his offense to mount a comeback.

"Cooper going going pretty well," Kinnneberg said. "That was a good sign for us."

Catcher Adam Frank (Sr., Paul, Idaho) broke the ice for the Utes in the fifth. He led off with a single and later scored on a Ryan Khoury (Sr., West Jordan, Utah) groundout.

The Utes got two more runs in the sixth to make it 5-3. Erich Kemp (Jr., Hemet, Calif.) reached on an error and John Welsh (Jr., Salem, Utah) singled to start the inning. Right fielder Joe Mozeleski (Sr., Huntington Beach, Calif.) later ripped a two-out, two-run double to left-center field.

Shimada led off the seventh with a single and then stole second base. He later scored on an RBI single off the bat of first baseman Jay Brossman (Jr., Pullman, Wash.). That run made it 5-4, but the Utes were unable to push another run across.

"We played pretty well and had some chances," Kinneberg added. "I was proud of the way we battled back."

UTSA's Noah Tritz tossed the final 1 1/3 innings, striking out three Utah batters to record his first save of the season. Tritz was the fourth hurler of the game for the Roadrunners. Blake Brannon (1-1) pitched the first five innings for Texas-San Antonio, allowing just one run on four hits. Brannon struck out four en route to picking up the win.

Trinnaman (0-1) suffered the loss for Utah. He allowed just three earned runs on seven hits in four innings of work. The Ute offense was paced by Mozeleski, going 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two doubles. Shimada was 2-for-3 with a run scored, while Khoury was 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI.

Game two of the series between Utah and Texas-San Antonio will be played Friday afternoon. First pitch is slated for 1 p.m. MST.

-UU-