| May 6, 2005
Contact: Kyle Stephens (210) 458-4907 Mares, UTSA shut down McNeese State, 5-0 Box Score
HAMMOND, La. – Sophomore pitcher Ursula Mares carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning and junior Jessica Rogers broke the Southland Conference single-season home run record as the UTSA softball team shut out McNeese State, 5-0, in the opening game of the SLC Tournament Friday at North Oak Park.
The Roadrunners improved to 41-16 on the season and will face Northwestern State on Saturday at 11 a.m. The Cowgirls fall to 28-33 and face elimination Friday night against Texas-Arlington, an 8-3 loser to Sam Houston State.
Mares was brilliant in the circle, striking out seven batters against just two walks and allowing only one hit in her 19th complete game and sixth shutout of the season.
Rogers hit her record-setting 23rd home run in the bottom of the first inning, breaking a tie for the single season mark she shared with former Roadrunner Christy Brownlee. Junior Amanda Horton also got in on the home run fun in the second, hitting her eighth long ball of the season. With the two homers increasing its season total to an NCAA-best 102, UTSA broke its own SLC single-season record of 101 set last year.
The Roadrunners wasted little time, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first as Torres singled through the left side and scored on Rogers’ line drive home run to right field.
UTSA tacked on two more runs in the second as Horton led off with high solo shot that just cleared the left field fence. Junior Jenny Garcia then reached on an infield single, stole second and scored on a single through the right side by Torres to push the lead to 4-0.
The game shifted to a pitcher’s duel between Mares and McNeese starter Jessica Denham, who retired 10 straight Roadrunners at one point. Mares carried a no-hitter into the top of the sixth inning until Brooke Brodhead blooped an 0-2 pitch into short right field just inside the line for the first and only hit of the game for the Cowgirls.
Brodhead’s two-out hit followed a one-out walk to Courtney Parks, but Mares fought back from a 3-0 count to strike out Beth Jordan, who entered the game batting .432 on the season.
UTSA added an insurance run in the bottom of the sixth as junior Stacey Gillespie doubled off the top of the fence in center field and scored on a single to right by Garcia.
Mares retired the Cowgirls in order in the seventh to help send UTSA to the second round. Denham struck out seven but allowed five earned runs on 10 hits in falling to 13-18.
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