| April 26, 2004
Contact: Kyle Stephens (210) 887-3636
Roadrunners win first-ever Southland Conference Softball Championship with doubleheader sweep at McNeese State Game 1: UTSA 3, McNeese St. 0 Game 2: UTSA 2, McNeese St. 1 (9)
LAKE CHARLES, La. - Freshman Ursula Mares was solid in the circle and sophomore Jenny Garcia's RBI-double in the top of the ninth inning of game two of a doubleheader at McNeese State Monday proved to be the difference as the UTSA softball team swept a twinbill from the Cowgirls, 3-0 and 2-1, en route to winning the program's first-ever Southland Conference Championship.
UTSA improves to 33-15 on the season and finishes the conference regular season with a 20-6 mark, one game better than runner-up Texas State's 19-7. McNeese falls to 19-39 and 8-17.
In game one, UTSA threatened in the top of the second, loading the bases after a double by freshman Aimee Murray and a pair of singles by juniors Krystal Gibson and Jennifer Davis, but Cowgirl pitcher Jessica Denham worked out of the jam with a couple of strikeouts.
The Roadrunners got on the board with a single run in the third. Sophomore Jessica Rogers walked, went to second on a single by sophomore Jessica Els, to third on a walk by senior Christy Brownlee and scored on a groundout to short by Murray.
UTSA struck for two more runs in the fourth to take a 3-0 lead. Davis reached on an error, stole second and scored when McNeese threw sophomore Stacey Gillespie's sacrifice bunt away for a two-base error. Gillespie advanced to third on a sac bunt by Garcia and scored on a two-out triple to left center by Els.
The Roadrunners escaped a bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the fifth inning. After three singles, Murray made a nice running catch of a line drive up the middle by Jana Jones to end the threat.
Mares worked through the McNeese lineup in order through the sixth and seventh en route to her 23rd win and sixth shutout of the year.
Game two was a pitcher's duel between Mares and McNeese's Corrie Hale. Mares had a no-hitter through five before a strange leadoff double by Karissa Wappler that bounced on the infield and rolled near the first base dugout. Wappler moved to third on a sac bunt and scored on a sac fly to center, putting McNeese up 1-0.
UTSA answered with a run in the top of the seventh. Senior Tammy Nelson led off with a controversial bunt single, advanced to second on a sac bunt by Garcia and scored on a double off the left-center field wall by Rogers.
After a scoreless eighth, Davis led off the ninth with a double to right field. Nelson bunted her over to third and Garcia lined her double past the third baseman to put UTSA up, 2-1.
Mares worked a perfect ninth to close the game and secure the conference title for the Roadrunners.
Mares worked all 16 innings, striking out five and allowing just seven hits in improving to 24-9 on the season. UTSA cancelled a scheduled doubleheader at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Tuesday. The Roadrunners open the first round of the SLC Postseason Tournament in San Marcos, Texas, on Friday at 11 a.m. against No. 6 seed Nicholls State.
Southland Conference Softball
Cowgirl Diamond - Lake Charles, La.
Game 1: UTSA 3, McNeese State 0
UTSA 001 200 0 - 3 6 1
McN 000 000 0 - 0 5 2
Mares and Els. Denham and Wallisa. WP - Mares (23-9). LP - Denham (11-14). Save - none. 3B - UTSA: Els (1). 2B - UTSA: Murray (10); McNeese: Jones (10).
Game 2: UTSA 2, McNeese State 1 (9)
UTSA 000 000 101 - 2 10 0
McN 000 010 000 - 1 2 1
Mares and Els. Hale and Holt. WP - Mares (24-9). LP - Hale (3-15). Save - none. 2B - UTSA: Rogers (7), Els (7), Gibson (9), Davis (10), Garcia (5); McNeese: Wappler, Holt.
NOTE: UTSA wins first-ever Southland Conference Championship.
Records: UTSA (33-15, 20-6 SLC); McNeese State (19-39, 8-17 SLC).
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