| April 22, 2006
Contact: Kyle Stephens (210) 458-4551 Win streak goes to 12 as UTSA sweeps Louisiana-Monroe Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
SAN ANTONIO – Junior Stevi Simpson (right) collected four hits and senior Amanda Horton drove in five runs to help lead the UTSA softball team to a doubleheader sweep of Louisiana-Monroe, 8-4 and 7-2, Saturday afternoon at Roadrunner Field.
UTSA extends its winning streak to a season-long 12 games and improves to 28-11 overall and 18-5 in the Southland Conference. The Roadrunners are in second place in the league standings and moved closer to first place Texas State, which suffered a split with Nicholls State and fell to 17-3 in the SLC. The Indians fell to 25-29 and 8-15, dropping their eighth straight meeting with UTSA.
Simpson and Horton led an offensive output that turned in 15 runs on 20 hits, including five home runs to push UTSA’s season total to 75 in 39 games (1.92 per game). Horton was the run producer in game one with a 2-for-3, five-RBI performance that included a mammoth three-run blast, while Simpson went a perfect 3-for-3 with a two-run homer in the nightcap. Seniors Jessica Els and Stacey Gillespie and junior Catherine Garza also went yard for the Roadrunners, while Horton, Els and junior Aimee Murray had three hits each on the afternoon.
In the circle, sophomore Amanda Nikolenko picked up a save in game one and her 17th win of the season in game two. Nikolenko and game one winner Ursula Mares posted 10 strikeouts apiece and limited the Indians to three earned runs on the day.
Mares fanned 10 batters and allowed three runs, two earned, on eight hits in running her record to 9-6 on the season and 5-3 in the league. Nikolenko entered the game with the tying run at second in the top of the sixth and struck out two in relief for the save. She struck out eight and allowed two unearned runs on eight hits in game two to improve to 17-5 and 11-2.
ULM scratched for a run in the top of the first in game one as Lindsay Schafer doubled to left and scored on a one-out double just inside the third base bag by Nicole Bethurum.
UTSA answered with a pair in the bottom of the second. Freshman Brittany Cantu lined a Dillard offering into center field with two outs and Gillespie fouled off seven pitches before lifting a high home run, her sixth of the year, just over the right field fence to give the Roadrunners a 2-1 lead.
The Indians took the lead right back in the third, scoring two runs on three hits and a UTSA error. Christy Waguespack lined a 3-2 pitch up the middle to start the frame and Heather Hanson beat out a sacrifice bunt attempt for a hit. Bethurum then lined a double to the gap in right center to plate Waguespack and a throwing error on a play at third allowed Hanson to come home and give ULM a 3-2 advantage.
The Roadrunners knotted the score at 3-3 in the bottom of the frame as senior Mel Torres reached on a two-base error, advanced to third on a double to left by Els and scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Horton.
UTSA took a 4-3 lead in the fifth as Els (left) led off with a single to left. Pinch runner Tamieka Trujillo moved to third on a single to right center by junior Aimee Murray that chased Dillard, one of three hits on the day for the shortstop. Horton greeted reliever Lindsay Rittenhouse with an RBI-single to left to plate Trujillo.
ULM threatened in the sixth, putting runners on first and second with one out. Nikolenko came on in relief and put out the fire, getting a strikeout and a groundout to end the frame.
The Roadrunners broke the game open in the bottom of the sixth, plating four runs on five hits. Freshman Leanne Risberg got things going with a one-out single to the gap in right center. She moved to second on a two-out walk to Els and scored on a single to right by Murray to make it 5-3. Horton followed with a towering blast deep over the left field fence to stretch the lead to four runs.
Lindsay Schafer launched her 11th home run of the season in the top of the seventh to make it 8-4, but Nikolenko closed the door on her first save of the year with a lineout and a strikeout.
Els put UTSA on top, 1-0, with a solo home run to center in the first inning of game two. The ball appeared to be caught by the center fielder but bounced off the glove and over the fence for Els’ ninth long ball of the year.
UTSA tacked on two more in the bottom of the second. Cantu reached on a fielder’s choice and Gillespie was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second with two down. Risberg came through with a single to left to plate Cantu and Gillespie came home on a Torres base knock. Els almost had her second round-tripper of the game but right fielder Lindsay Taylor snagged the ball over the top of the fence for the third out.
Simpson added a two-run bomb to center in the third that scored Horton to increase the lead to 5-0. Junior Catherine Garza followed with a sky-high home run to left center that chased starting pitcher Taylor Call.
ULM got on the board with a pair of unearned runs in the top of the fourth. Back-to-back singles by Megan Miller and Courtney Tuggle put runners on first and second with no outs. Nikolenko got a fly ball and strikeout but an infield error allowed the first run to score from second and Heather Hanson came through with a clutch hit to pull the Indians to within four.
UTSA answered with a run in the bottom of the frame. Risberg walked and scored on a fielder’s choice groundout by Murray to make it 7-2 after four. Nikolenko cruised from there, allowing just one baserunner the rest of the way in finishing off her 11th conference victory of the season.
Game three is set for noon Sunday.
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