· Game 1 box score
· Game 2 box score
CORPUS CHRISTI — Senior Aimee Murray had a two-RBI triple and junior Janeille Nickels tossed a four-hitter to lead the Roadrunners to a 5-1 victory over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in game two of a Southland Conference doubleheader Tuesday afternoon at Islander Field. The Islanders rallied for a 3-1 win in game one, the league opener for both teams.
The SLC defending champion Roadrunners move to 6-11 overall and 1-1 in league play, while league newcomer TAMU-CC fell to 4-13 and 1-1.
Murray’s two-out, two-run triple highlighted a five-run third inning for UTSA as the Roadrunners pounded out 11 hits by eight different players in the second game. Senior Jessica Rogers, junior Kourtney Jones and freshman Krista Sitka collected two hits apiece, while Rogers and sophomore Leanne Risberg drove in a run each.
In the circle, Nickels had a one-hitter through six innings and allowed just one run on four hits. She struck out five batters in running her record to 2-3.
Redshirt freshman Kelly Cato started the third inning with a single to center field and moved to third on a one-out single to left by junior Lindsay Perry. An error off the bat of freshman Rudi Cantu allowed Cato to score the first run and a sacrifice fly to right by Rogers plated Perry. Murray then lined a triple to right to score Cantu and Jones, who reached on a single up the middle. Risberg followed with a two-out single through the left side of the infield to make it 5-0.
Meanwhile, Nickels cruised in the circle until TAMU-CC mounted a rally in the bottom of the seventh. Andrea Gonzalez led off with a single to right and moved to third on a double by Margo Hurdt. Lauren Peters broke up the shutout with a single through the left side, putting runners at the corners with no outs. Nickels worked out of the jam with a double play and a ground ball back to the pitcher.
Hurdt (0-5) picked up the loss, allowing one earned run on 11 hits.
In game one, the Islanders rallied from a 1-0 deficit with three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning and held on for the 3-1 victory. Jennifer Cummings allowed one run on four hits and a walk in running her record to 4-8. Junior Amanda Nikolenko (4-8) gave up three runs on eight hits in the loss.
UTSA struck for a run in the top of the fourth as Cantu singled to left, Cato reached on an error on a sacrifice bunt and Rogers singled up the middle to load the bases with no outs. Following a foul out, Risberg lifted a fly ball down the left field line to score Cantu with the only run of the game for the Roadrunners.
The Islanders tied the game in the bottom of the frame as Andrea Simancas singled and later scored on a steal attempt that resulted in an error on UTSA. Brenda Guerrero delivered the game-winner, a two-out, two-run single to center field.
Game three is at noon Wednesday.
