| March 9, 2006
Contact: Kyle Stephens (210) 458-4551 UTSA sweeps Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score | Photo Gallery
SAN ANTONIO – Junior Catherine Garza (right) and freshman Leanne Risberg collected four hits and three runs batted in apiece to help lead the UTSA softball team to a doubleheader sweep of Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 9-1 and 7-3, on Thursday afternoon at Roadrunner Field.
The Roadrunners improve to 9-6 on the season and extended their home win streak to 13 games dating back to the 2005 campaign. UTSA now has won 32 of their last 33 home contests. The Islanders fall to 4-14.
Garza and Risberg led a UTSA offense that pounded out 16 runs on 23 hits, including 10 for extra bases. Seniors Jessica Els and Mel Torres and freshman Brittany Cantu added three hits apiece. Els, Cantu and Risberg all went yard, as well, increasing UTSA’s season home run total to 36 in 15 games (2.4 per game).
The Islanders jumped on the board with a run in the top of the first in game one. Erica Armenta reached on an infield single, advanced to third on an error and scored on a single to center by Andrea Gonzalez.
UTSA answered quickly in the bottom of the frame as Torres doubled to right center and scored on a two-run blast to center by Els. Garza then reached on a fielding error, advanced to second on a groundout and to third on another error that allowed Cantu to first. Freshman Rachel Rackley doubled to left center to plate Garza, while junior Stevi Simpson followed with a two-run single to right center to make it 5-1.
Cantu added a solo home run to right center in the third, her team-best ninth of the season, to push the lead to 6-1. The Roadrunners put the eight-run rule into effect in the fifth with three runs. Rackley reached on a hard single to third base and advanced to second on a goundout. Following a Risberg single, a pitching change and a hit batter, Rackley scored on a wild pitch and Garza followed with a two-run single to end the game.
Sophomore Amanda Nikolenko scattered seven hits and allowed just one unearned run in five innings in improving to 6-3 overall. Amanda Foster allowed eight runs – five earned – on 11 hits in falling to 2-6.
UTSA grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the second game as Els doubled to left center and scored on a double to right center by Cantu.
The Islanders plated three runs in the top of the second. Brittany Green had a two-run double to right center that scored Stephanie Estrada and Julia Monsivais. Guerrero later came home on an Armenta single to make it 3-1.
Risberg (right) knotted the score in the bottom of the second with a two-run round-tripper to left field that scored Garza. UTSA took the lead for good with two runs in the third. Cantu doubled to right field and senior Amanda Horton singled to put runners at the corners with no outs. Cantu scored on a wild pitch and Horton came around on a two-out infield single by Garza.
The Roadrunners tacked on two more runs the rest of the way. Torres singled home sophomore Kim Chavez in the fourth and Risberg drove in Garza, who reached on a double.
Junior Ursula Mares struck out six and allowed three runs on 10 hits in improving to 2-3 on the season. Jennifer Cummings gave up five runs on six hits in falling to 1-7.
The Roadrunners travel to Natchitoches, La., for a three-game Southland Conference series at Northwestern State on Saturday-Sunday, March 11-12.
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