| April 2, 2005
Contact: Kyle Stephens (210) 458-4907 UTSA strums Southeastern Louisiana, 10-1 and 13-1; keeps pace in tight conference race Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
HAMMOND, La. – Sophomore pitcher Ursula Mares hurled a three-hitter and junior Jenny Garcia and sophomore Aimee Murray both homered to lead UTSA to a 10-1 run-ruling of Southeastern Louisiana in game one of a Southland Conference doubleheader Saturday at North Oak Park. Freshman pitcher Amanda Nikolenko scattered six hits and Garcia and senior Krystal Gibson drove in three runs apiece as the Roadrunners cruised to a 13-1 victory in the nightcap.
With the sweep, UTSA improves to 25-14 overall and 9-4 in the league. The Lady Lions fall to 13-17 and 7-7. Texas State won both games of a doubleheader at previous conference-leader Northwestern State to shake the standings up. Northwestern State falls to 12-5 in the league, while Texas State moves into first place at 12-4. Sam Houston State (10-4) is off this weekend and also has just four losses.
Garcia was 5-for-7 with two home runs and six RBI in the two games combined, while Torres was 4-for-7 and Murray and juniors Jessica Rogers and Stacey Gillespie collected four hits apiece. UTSA added four more home runs to its NCAA-leading total of 67 and pounded out 31 total hits on the day. The Roadrunners now have at least 13 hits in four of their last five outings and have turned in 10 or more hits 16 times this season.
In game one, Garcia and Murray both had two hits, including home runs, to lead the offense, while Mares shined on the mound, allowing just one run on three hits and striking out five to improve her record to 12-6 on the season. Jessica Sander gave up seven runs (five unearned) on nine hits in falling to 1-4.
UTSA jumped on the board quickly in game one, taking a 3-0 lead after two at-bats. Junior Mel Torres singled up the middle to extend her hitting streak to eight games and scored on a sacrifice fly to right field by Murray in her first at-bat after missing seven games due to an injury suffered on March 19 at Stephen F. Austin.
The Roadrunners tacked on two more runs in the second on two hits and two Lions errors. Junior Jessica Els and sophomore Ashley Long led off with back-to-back singles and junior Stacey Gillespie hit a sharp grounder back to the pitcher, who overthrew second base on the force attempt and allowed Els to come home. Long then scored on another throwing error on a force attempt at second to put UTSA up, 3-0.
The Lady Lions scratched in the bottom of the second on a solo home run by Karin Smith that just cleared the fence in right field.
UTSA put the game out of reach with a four-run fifth. Murray led off with her eight homer of the season, a solo shot to right. Following a groundout, Els lifted a fly ball to deep left field that was dropped for a two-base error, Long singled to short center and both scored on Garcia’s fifth long ball of the season, a deep shot to right that pushed the lead to 7-1.
The Roadrunners plated three more in the sixth on a pinch-hit, RBI-single by junior Amanda Horton and a pinch-hit, two-run single by sophomore Stevi Simpson just inside the right field line to extend the advantage to 10-1.
The Lions struck first in game two on an RBI-single by Lisa Chapman, but UTSA knotted things in the third on an RBI-double over the center fielder’s head by Torres that plated Garcia, who reached on an infield single.
The Roadrunners opened up a 5-1 lead after a four-run fourth. Long drew a one-out walk, Gillespie doubled to the gap in left center and both scored on Garcia’s second three-run blast of the day. Gibson followed with a solo dinger to center, her ninth of the year.
UTSA posted three more runs in the sixth to push the lead to 8-1. Gillespie and Garcia led off with back-to-back singles and Garcia scored on an RBI-groundout from Gibson. Torres then drove in her second run of the game on a single up the middle. Murray finished off the frame with a double to right center that scored Rogers, who reached on a fielder’s choice.
The Roadrunners plated five runs on five hits and two Southeastern errors in the seventh to put the game out of reach at 13-1.
Nikolenko struck out seven batters over seven innings in running her record to 11-7, while Devin King allowed five runs on eight hits in falling to 5-4.
Game three is set for Sunday at noon.
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