AUSTIN – Senior Amanda Horton and freshman Brittany Cantu helped UTSA break its own single-season home run record, but Utah rallied for three runs in the final two innings for a 3-2 victory Saturday in the first elimination game of the NCAA Austin Regional.
The Utes (39-20) rallied from a 2-0 deficit with two down in the bottom of the sixth, scoring three runs, including the game-winning sacrifice fly by Jackie Wong, to pull off the heartbreaker and eliminate the Roadrunners (37-14) from the NCAA Tournament.
Horton and Cantu hit mammoth solo blasts to stake UTSA to a 2-0 lead through the first five and two-thirds innings. The two homers added to the Roadrunners’ record-breaking season total, giving them 105 in 51 games.
The 105 home runs breaks the school and Southland Conference record of 103 set in 2005. The Roadrunners now sit in sole possession of second place on the NCAA’s all-time single-season home run list behind Arizona’s 126 posted in 2001 and own three of the top five seasons in NCAA history (101 in 2004). Additionally, UTSA’s per-game average of 2.06 is well ahead of its NCAA record pace of 1.87 set in 2004 and likely will remain the record as the only team left playing within striking distance – Louisiana-Lafayette – has less home runs in more games this season.
Cantu launched her 13th home run of the season in the top of the second to give UTSA its first-ever run in NCAA Tournament action. The estimated 245-foot blast made its way over the street beyond the left field fence at Red and Charline McCombs Field and gave Cantu a share of the school’s freshman single-season home run record (Jenny Garcia, 2003). Senior Stacey Gillespie followed with a single to left and freshman Leanne Risberg drew a walk to put runners at first and second with one out, but Utah right-hander Meghan Dyer got out of the jam thanks to a nice running catch in right center by center fielder Diana Phillips and a foul out to third.
Horton drilled her 19th home run of the year in the top of the sixth, a towering blast into the parking lot past the left field fence to push the lead to 2-0. Cantu had her second hit of the day later in the frame, a line drive double to the gap in left center, but was stranded on a strikeout.
Utah knotted the score at 2-2 with a pair of runs in the bottom of the sixth. Davina Quintero reached on a two-out, bloop double just off the infield dirt behind first base and Sharee Fonoti lined a double off the fence in right to cut the deficit in half, 2-1. After a wild pitch, Staci Hemingway drilled a single to left to plate Fonoti with the tying run.
With one out in the bottom of the seventh, Meghan Crouse reached on a long triple just past the outstretched glove of Gillespie in center field. Wong lifted a fly ball down the left field line and Crouse used good speed to beat the throw home with the winning run.
Dyer struck out nine and allowed two runs on seven hits in improving to 15-8 on the season. Nikolenko (23-7) drew the tough-luck loss with six strikeouts, allowing three runs on seven hits.
Utah rallied to eliminate Indiana, 5-1, Saturday night and advances to the regional championship against No. 3 Texas on Sunday. The Utes will have to defeat the Longhorns twice to earn the bid to the Super Regional round next weekend.
POST-GAME QUOTES
UTSA head coach Lori Cook
Her general statement on the game where Utah came back and scored all three of its runs in the last 2 innings...
"This definitely puts us into a little bit of a shock. We talked all season about not being in a situation where you are one hit away from getting beat. Horton hit the second home run, and even though we gave up opportunities to score some more, all we needed was the six outs. I thought the ball that Mel Torres dove for with the two outs was a great effort behind first base. The ball kicked away and put them in the scoring position. We didn't quit, but after they scored the second run, I saw our emotions drain away a bit out there.
"We talk all year about never being out of a game. I thought we would go deeper into extra innings with them, but so, again, it's a little bit of a shock right now."
About the Mel Torres play - a diving stop behind first base of Quintero's double in the sixth...
"We worked all year with her on trying to get her to dive. She covered a lot of ground on that, and when she hit the ground, the ball pops out. I thought with Horton picking it up, and the arm she has, it would be close there, but they hustled it out. It's a game of inches, because if we get that play, we are out of the inning."
About UTSA establishing a tradition of playing in the NCAA Championship and having not won a NCAA tourney game until earlier on Saturday...
"We just want to take it, like everyone says, game-by-game. We wanted to come out with at least one win and we nearly did today. Sometimes, things just don't go your way in softball. We talked about our first regional a few years ago, when Amanda (Horton), who is here with me, was part of that. We went to Baylor the first time the program made it to the NCAAs. I thought with the draw we had today that we could get here and win two games and advance to the championship where we'd meet Texas again. It's kind of disappointing that we won't. We are not satisfied with just getting to the NCAAs anymore in this program. Our program is always going to strive to get the chance to play for the regional championship - and beyond."
UTSA second baseman Brittany Cantu
On what she is feeling at the moment about the game turning...
"I definitely am in a state of shock. It was a really tough game. We played just as good as Utah did, and I expected us to come out with the win. They played well and didn't give up. They ended up coming through in the end, and that's what a great team does."
Senior right fielder Amanda Horton
When asked if hitting her home run - to give UTSA a 2-0 lead in the sixth inning - would be the insurance run that UTSA needed....
"Even after Brittany's home run, it feels good to keep scoring. Utah did not have any big hits until the sixth inning, and Amanda (Nikolenko) was doing a great job for us. Of course, it always feels good to have a home run, but not today."
Asked if this is possibly the worst way for the season - and her career - to end ...
"It's definitely not the worst, because we are here in the NCAAs. The game itself is disappointing, but getting to this point has been a wild ride. We've come out on top a lot, and of course we wanted to win today. But, it's not always about the end result. All the way around, the coaches and the players learned from each other. They all know where they need to be for next year. It can only go up from here."