| March 4, 2005
Contact: Kyle Stephens (210) 458-4907 UTSA shuts out Houston, Western Michigan on first day of Hyatt Regency Cougar Classic UTSA 8, Western Michigan 0 | UTSA 3, Houston 0
HOUSTON – Sophomore Ursula Mares tossed a three-hit shutout and sophomore Aimee Murray drove in two runs to lead the UTSA softball team to a 3-0 victory over Houston Friday evening at the Hyatt Regency Cougar Classic.
Senior Krystal Gibson and junior Jessica Rogers both hit two-run home runs and freshman pitcher Amanda Nikolenko hurled a complete-game shutout to lead the Roadrunners to an 8-0 victory over Western Michigan in their first game of the day.
With the two wins, UTSA improves to 13-7 on the season, while Houston falls to 8-10 and Western Michigan to 1-5.
Mares struck out nine batters and allowed just three hits and one walk in the win over the host Cougars. She improves to 6-3 in turning in her third shutout of the year.
UTSA got on the board first with a pair of runs in the top of the third. Torres led off with a double that bounced on the top of the fence in right center and back into play. Garcia punched a one-out single through the left side and both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Murray then poked a single to short right field that scored both runners.
The Roadrunners went up 3-0 in the fourth when pinch runner J.J. McQueen scored all the way from second on a passed ball that got away from the Houston catcher.
The Cougars staged a rally in the bottom of the seventh as Jaci Glowacz singled through the left side and advanced to second on an error in the infield on a ground ball by Jeanie Davis. Mares worked out of the jam with three strikeouts to end the game.
Gibson finished the game 2-for-3 with two runs batted in, while Rogers was 1-for-2 with three RBI. Nikolenko worked six scoreless innings, striking out five and allowing just two hits, both in the fifth inning, in improving to 7-4 on the season.
UTSA pushed across three runs, all with two outs, in the bottom of the second. Junior Jessica Els singled on the infield, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by junior Stacey Gillespie and scored on a single to right center by junior Mel Torres. Torres then came home on a two-run blast over the right center field fence by Gibson that made it 3-0.
The Roadrunners extended their lead to 5-0 on a line-drive, two-run home run to right center by Rogers that plated sophomore Aimee Murray, who reached on a single through the right side of the infield to extend her hitting streak to six games.
UTSA tacked on another run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly to center field by Murray that scored junior Jenny Garcia, who reached on a fielder’s choice.
The Roadrunners ended the game with the eight-run rule in the bottom of the sixth. With one out and Davis and Garcia at second and third after a pair of singles and a wild pitch, Rogers lifted a deep fly ball to center field, plating Garcia on the sac fly. Davis advanced to third on the throw home and scored when the ball went into the UTSA dugout.
On Saturday, the Roadrunners face No. 16 Nebraska at 10 a.m. and Texas Southern at 4 p.m.
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