| Freshman Mercedes Hessel hit her first career home run on Sunday. |
SAN ANTONIO — Freshman Mercedes Hessel made her first career home run a big one to help lead UTSA past Nicholls, 7-3, Sunday in the rubber game of a series battle for first place in the Southland Conference.
Hessel drilled a three-run shot in the bottom of the fourth to give UTSA a 4-1 advantage, a lead that would hold up the rest of a game that featured several key defensive plays and back-to-back squeeze bunts by the Roadrunners.
Hessel finished 2-for-4, while senior Aimee Murray also had two hits, including her eight home run of the year, and two runs batted in.
Six Colonels collected two hits apiece, led by Jennifer Campbell, who hit her third homer of the season.
The win moved UTSA to 18-18 overall and 12-3 and in sole possession of first place in the league, while Nicholls fell to 17-12 and 8-3.
Nicholls jumped on the board first with a solo home run by Kodi Butler in the top of the first.
UTSA responded with four in the bottom of the frame. Senior Jessica Rogers drew a leadoff walk and sophomore Leanne Risberg was hit by a pitch to put runners at first and second with nobody out. Murray then dropped a short base hit to right field to plate Rogers with the first run. A walk to senior Catherine Garza and a fielder’s choice off the bat of freshman Krista Sitka set the table for Hessel’s three-run blast to left.
Jennifer Campbell homered over the scoreboard in left field to cut the deficit in half in the top of the second.
The Roadrunners broke through for two more runs via small ball in the fifth. Garza drew her third walk and freshman Rudi Cantu lined a pinch-hit double to the fence in left center to start the frame. Reliever Jessica Barksdale got a strikeout, but allowed back-to-back perfectly-executed squeeze bunts by redshirt freshman Kelly Cato and junior Kim Chavez as the lead grew to 6-2.
Nicholls threatened in the sixth, loading the bases on three consecutive singles with no outs. Kat Harrell then grounded a ball to the shortstop Murray, who tagged out Campbell trying to advance to third and threw home in time to cut down Rachel Pugh for an unconventional double play. UTSA starter Janeille Nickels got Leah Peterson to fly out to end the frame.
Murray’s line drive homer just over the center field fence in the bottom of the sixth extended the advantage to 7-2.
Nicholls threatened again in the seventh, putting runners on second and third with one out. Pugh singled home pinch runner Ashley Martin with a base hit to left, but Nickels got out of the jam with a pop-up and a ground ball to end the game.
Nickels improved to 9-7, scattering 14 hits and stranding 12 baserunners. Krystalin Ensminger allowed six runs on six hits in four-plus innings in falling to 10-7.
The Roadrunners travel to Waco to face nationally-ranked Baylor in a doubleheader on Wednesday, March 28.