UTSA moved one step closer to the 2026 American Baseball Championship title after a 4-2 victory over East Carolina on Tuesday night in Clearwater, Florida.
The Roadrunners drew first blood in the opening frame when Drew Detlefsen launched a solo homer that put the team ahead early, setting a confident tone for the contest.
East Carolina answered in the third inning, with Braden Burress delivering a timely base hit that knotted the score and shifted momentum toward the Pirates.
Fourth-Inning Decisiveness
UTSA seized control in the fourth when an RBI groundout by Aidan Eshelman pushed the lead to 2-1, and the advantage grew as Detlefsen’s two-out RBI single extended the margin to 4-2.
Relief pitcher Sam Simmons steadied the game, logging 4.2 innings of work while allowing just one earned run, earning the win for the Roadrunners.
Closer Connor Kelley then sealed the outcome, tossing 1.2 flawless innings with four strikeouts to record his second save of the weekend.
East Carolina’s Ethan Rose took the loss despite a clean inning of relief, having not surrendered a single hit.