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SAN ANTONIO — UTSA scored five runs in the sixth inning of game one to pull away for an 8-2 victory, but the Roadrunners could not complete a doubleheader sweep, as Sam Houston State hit three home runs in the nightcap for an 8-3 win on Friday at Roadrunner Field.
The loss ended UTSA's home winning streak at 13 games and the split moved their record to 14-20 overall and 4-4 in Southland Conference play this spring.
Senior Nikki Goff had three hits on the day, including her third home run of the season, and four RBIs to lead the offense.
Meanwhile, Hillary Adams hit a pair of homers and drove in three runs in game two to lead the Bearkats (15-16, 7-3 SLC).
Sam Houston State jumped ahead in the opener on Sarah Allison’s RBI-single through the left side in the opening frame and it maintained the 1-0 edge until UTSA tied things up in the third.
Sophomore Molly Fichtner led off the inning with a single to right field and moved up 60 feet on a grounder. Senior Caitlyn Ivy followed with a run-scoring base hit to center and the Roadrunners did not trail the rest of the way.
UTSA grabbed its first lead of the contest with two runs in the fourth when freshman Megan Low plated senior Ashley Kappler and junior Haylee Staton with a hard hit off the glove of second baseman Alyssa Coggins. The smash ricocheted off Coggins’ outstretched mitt and rolled into center field to put the Roadrunners ahead, 3-1.
The Bearkats drew closer in the sixth on Shelbi Tucker’s sacrifice fly.
However, UTSA closed the door and turned a 3-2 lead into an 8-2 advantage with five runs, including four with two outs, in the bottom half of the inning. Kappler started the rally with a double down the left-field line and touched home on Fichtner’s single to left. After a pair of outs, Goff doubled home Fichtner and freshman Courtney Buchman walked to put runners on first and second for senior Alaina Byars. The Deer Park native capped the scoring with her first home run of the season, a three-run shot to left, which put the game out of reach.
Fellow senior Morgan Luksa pitched the final 1.2 frames for her second save of the season, while junior Alyssa Vordenbaum (3-6) earned the win after giving up just one run in 2.1 innings.
Tomi Garrison (6-8) took the loss after allowing three runs and walking four in 3.2 panels.
The Bearkats once again jumped on top in the first inning in the nightcap thanks to a run-scoring double, wild pitch and solo homer.
Trailing 3-0, the Roadrunners knotted the score with the help of a Sam Houston State error that prolonged the inning. With two outs and Fichtner on first, Ivy hit a grounder to second that was misplayed before Goff connected on a three-run homer to left on the second pitch of her at-bat.
That proved to be all the offense that UTSA managed, while the Bearkats added a run in the second, two more in the third and a pair in the fifth.
Vordenbaum (3-7) surrendered three runs in her 2.2 innings, while Shelby Lancaster (6-5) went the distance and struck out two.
UTSA returns to the diamond on Saturday for another doubleheader, this time against Central Arkansas (27-15, 5-5 SLC). First pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. at Roadrunner Field.