| April 23, 2005
Contact: Kyle Stephens (210) 458-4907 UTSA splits SLC doubleheader at Texas-Arlington; Rogers ties SLC single-season home run record Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
ARLINGTON, Texas – Junior Jessica Rogers tied the Southland Conference single-season home run record and drove in five runs to break the UTSA career runs batted in mark in leading the UTSA softball team to a 9-1 victory over Texas-Arlington in game two of a doubleheader Saturday at Allan Saxe Field. The Mavericks scored three unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth to score a come-from-behind, 4-2 victory in game one.
With the split, UTSA moves to 36-16 overall and 17-5 in the SLC. UTA remains in fifth place in the league at 13-12 and goes to 17-23 overall. Sam Houston State (18-4) took over sole possession of first place in the conference standings with two victories at Northwestern State on Saturday.
With the three home runs in game two, UTSA increased its NCAA-leading total to 92, nine shy of the SLC record 101 the Roadrunners slugged in 2004. Rogers hit her NCAA-leading 21st and 22nd long balls of the season to tie the SLC record of 22 set last year by Christy Brownlee. Junior Amanda Horton also got in on the home run fun with her fourth bomb of the season in a two-hit, two-RBI performance.
Rogers’ five RBI-outing increased her single-season school record to 62 and her career total to 137, breaking the UTSA career record of 136 held by Brownlee.
The loss in game one snapped UTSA’s 10-game conference winning streak and nine-game win streak overall dating back to a 2-0 loss at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on April 6. The victory in the second game improved the Roadrunners to 30-6 in their last 36 regular season conference contests and 13-2 in the month of April.
The Roadrunners took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second in game two as senior Jennifer Davis singled to center, advanced to second on a groundout to the pitcher and scored on a single to center by Horton.
UTSA added two more runs on Rogers’ long line drive home run over the fence just to the left of center field that scored junior Mel Torres, who reached on an infield single.
Horton led off the fourth with a deep solo home run to left center, her fourth long ball of the season, to put UTSA up, 4-0.
UTA scored a run in the bottom of the frame as Autumn Petrino doubled and scored on a double to center by Jenna Fortune to pull the Mavericks to within 4-1.
UTSA kept its scoring string alive in the fifth as Rogers led off with an infield single. Senior pinch runner J.J. McQueen advanced to second on a groundout and scored on a double to right center by Davis. Junior Jessica Els then drove Davis home on a single to left center to push the lead to 6-1.
Rogers blasted her record-tying home run in the top of the sixth, a three-run shot to right field that scored junior Jenny Garcia and senior pinch-hitter Jessica Ellison, who both reached on singles.
Freshman Amanda Nikolenko allowed one run on ??? hits and struck out ?? in four innings to improve to 15-8 on the season. Jill Garro allowed four runs on ?????.
The Mavericks erased a 2-1 UTSA lead in game one with three unearned runs in the bottom of the sixth en route to the 4-2 win. Katie Jones drew a leadoff walk, but was erased on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Dee Jay Nelson. Petrino then doubled off the fence in right field to put runners at second and third with one out. A walk to Fortune summoned junior reliever Hope Ortiz from the bullpen. A ground ball to second base forced Nelson at home but a two-out throwing error on the infield cleared the bases and put the Mavericks up for good, 4-2.
UTSA scratched first with a run in the top of the first. Senior Krystal Gibson was hit by a pitch to open the frame and advanced to second on a groundout to first. Junior Jessica Rogers then walked, chasing UTA starter Lauren Hebert for Jill Garro. Sophomore Aimee Murray then lined a ground to second base that plated Gibson with the first run.
The Roadrunners added a run in the third as Davis scored on a double to the gap in left center by junior Jessica Els.
The Mavericks ended Mares’ no-hit bid in the fifth on a one-out, two-strike bunt single by Courtni Anderson that put runners at first and second. Lacey Leadbetter then lined a single up the middle to plate Fortune, who started the inning with a walk. Mares was able to work out of the jam with a strikeout and an infield pop-up, leaving the score at 2-1 after five.
Garro allowed one run on seven hits and struck out just one batter in running her record to 12-11 in the game one victory. Mares (17-7) struck out five and allowed four runs (one earned) on three hits in the tough-luck loss.
Game three is set for Sunday at 1 p.m.
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