HUNTSVILLE, Tex. – Texas-San Antonio first baseman Trent Lockwood belted a 3-run home run with one out in the top of the eighth inning as the No. 1 seeded Roadrunners scored three runs in each the seventh and eighth innings to rally for a 9-7 win over Northwestern State and eliminating the No. 5-seed Demons from the 2008 Academy Sports Southland Conference Baseball Tournament.

The Demons (28-28) built a 6-2 lead through six innings after compiling 11 hits, but after starting pitcher Heath Hennigan was lifted in the sixth inning, four Demon relief pitchers couldn’t hang on to the lead as UTSA (39-18) advances to take on the loser of Thursday’s late game between Sam Houston State and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

After falling behind 1-0 in the first, designated hitter Justin O’Neal punched a two-run double over the third base line to put the Demons up 3-0 after two innings.

“I thought we swung the bats well for the first few innings, but then just went into a lull,” said NSU head coach J.P. Davis.

UTSA threatened in the top of the third inning when shortstop James Keithley and center fielder Michael Rockett hit identical singles through the left side, but after both moved up a base on a grounder from first baseman Trent Lockwood, Hennigan got right fielder Aaron Powell to strike out to end the inning.

In the bottom of the third, first baseman Mike Jaworski and third baseman Joe Urtuzuastegui hit back-to-back doubles to make it 4-1.

Second baseman Chase Lyles moved Urtuzuastegui to third with a sacrifice bunt and right fielder Brett Johnson was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and third.  That set up a RBI single from shortstop Roberto Gallegos to left field, scoring Urtuzuastegui and giving the Demons a 5-1 lead.

UTSA put together its own back-to-back double sequence in the top of the fourth inning when catcher Zach Etheredge hit one to right-center and second baseman Ryan Hutson scored him with a shot to left-center to cut the Demon lead to 5-2.

The Roadrunners threatened in the top half of the fifth when Lockwood blasted a two-out triple to right-center field but was left stranded on third when Hennigan struck out Powell for the second straight time.

UTSA put runners at first and second with two outs in the top of the sixth, and after Davis lifted Hennigan for Kyle Broughton, Broughton got Keithley to ground to Gallegos where he got the force out at second to end the inning.

O’Neal’s solo home run in the bottom of the sixth put the Demons up 6-2.  Jones followed with a single up the middle and Jaworski reached when his grounder to second was thrown away, putting runners at second and third with one out.

Andy Benedict, UTSA’s third pitcher of the game, intentionally walked Urtuzuestegui to load to the bases.  UTSA then went to Zach Calhoon – its fourth pitcher of the game.

Calhoon, who leads the SLC in saves and earned the win on Thursday, struck out Lyles then got Libadisos to ground out to leave the bases loaded.

A two-out, bases loaded single by Etheredge in the top of the seventh inning scored two runs to cut the Demon lead to 6-5.  That set up Lockwood’s 3-run go ahead homer in the eighth off of losing pitcher Ryan Campbell.

“That was the story of the game,” said Davis of Lockwood’s homer.  “We had an opportunity to open the game up in the sixth inning, but can’t get the runs in with the bags loaded with one out.”

Etheredge gave UTSA an insurance run with a solo home run to lead-off the top of the ninth inning.