| April 8, 2004
Contact: Kyle Stephens (210) 458-4907
UTSA breaks NCAA home run record with 10 in 26-1 win at Texas Southern Box Score
HOUSTON - Junior Jessica Ellison, sophomores Jenny Garcia and Jessica Rogers and freshman Aimee Murray slugged two home runs apiece as UTSA broke the NCAA single-game home run record with 10 long balls in a 26-1 run-ruling of Texas Southern at Memorial Park Thursday.
UTSA improves to 26-14 on the season with the victory, while Texas Southern falls to 6-21. Originally scheduled for a doubleheader, the two teams agreed to a single game before the start of game one.
One week to the day after tying the NCAA single-game home run record of eight in each game of a doubleheader against Texas Southern in San Antonio, the Roadrunners launched 10 homers today to move ahead of themselves and I-35 rival Texas State, who first set the mark with eight against Stephen F. Austin in 2002.
The 10 homers gives the Roadrunners 80 for the season, equaling the school record set last year when they led the NCAA in homers per game. This year's total of 80 and average of 2.0 per game unofficially leads the nation.
UTSA also pounded out a season-high 28 hits, 15 of those for extra bases. The 26 runs also is a high-water mark for the year.
The Roadrunners struck for six runs in the top of the first. Sophomore Jessica Rogers led off with a solo shot to left-center field. Sophomore Jessica Els singled and senior Christy Brownlee doubled down the left-field line to set up the first home run by Murray, a three-run blast to right center.
Back-to-back singles by sophomore Amanda Horton and junior Jennifer Davis put runners at first and second with one out. Senior Tammy Nelson sent a fly ball to short right center that the center fielder dropped. Texas Southern was able to force out Davis at second but Horton came around to score. Nelson stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error by the catcher. She scored the sixth run of the inning when sophomore Jenny Garcia, who is making her first start since an injury on March 16, reached on an error.
UTSA added two more in the second on a two-run laser to left by Murray that scored Brownlee, who reached on her second double of the day.
Garcia extended the UTSA lead to 9-0 with a solo homer to center in the third, her second long ball of the season.
The Roadrunners tacked on four runs in the fourth, capped by Garcia's second homer of the day, a three-run shot way over the left-field fence.
The Lady Tigers broke up the no-hit bid with a double down the right-field line by Krystal McDonald in the bottom of the fourth. She came around to score the only Texas Southern run of the day with two outs.
Junior Jessica Ellison led off the fifth with her first homer of the season to left. Brownlee walked and Murray doubled to left and both scored on a single up the middle by freshman Catherine Garza. Sophomore Krystal Guevara's pinch-hit single through the left side set up Davis for her second homer of the season, a three-run shot to center.
Sophomore Stacey Gillespie followed with a triple down the right-field line. Garcia singled and both scored on Rogers second bomb of the day. That homer tied the NCAA record, setting the stage for Ellison.
Ellison calmly launched her second no-doubter of the inning to left to break the record and Brownlee followed with a long shot to center, tying her with former All-American Amanda Michalsky for UTSA's single-season home run mark of 19. The Roadrunners would tack on two more runs to bring the final tally to 26-1.
Mares worked three hitless and scoreless innings, striking out seven and walking just one. She extended her scoreless innings streak to 24 and improved to 17-9 on the year.
Non-Conference Softball
UTSA 26, Texas Southern 1
UTSA621 4(13) - 26 28 1
TSU000 1 0 - 1 1 2
Records: UTSA 26-14. Texas Southern (6-22).
Mares, Simpson (4) and Els, Ellison (3). Lemon and Weirich. WP - Mares (17-9). LP - Lemon. Save - none. HR - UTSA: Ellison 2 (2), Garcia 2 (3), Rogers 2 (15), Murray 2 (7), Brownlee (19), Davis (2). 3B - UTSA: Gillespie (1). 2B - UTSA: Brownlee 2 (8); Davis (8), Murray (8).
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