· Game 1 box score
· Game 2 box score
SAN MARCOS - Texas State completed the sweep against the UTSA softball team with 2-1 and 6-4 wins on Sunday afternoon at Bobcat Field. The Roadrunners, who have lost five straight games, fell to 18-23 on the season and 12-6 SLC play, while the Bobcats improved to 18-17 overall and 8-7 in the league.
In the nightcap, sophomore Leanne Risberg hammered the second pitch of the game to deep left field for the 1-0 lead. UTSA pushed its lead to 3-0 in the following inning when senior Catherine Garza belted her sixth home run of the season and freshman Krista Sitka came around to score when Risberg was hit by a pitch with bases loaded.
In the bottom half of the second, Ashton Peters‚ double off the left-field wall drove in the Bobcats' first run and cut the deficit to 3-1. Texas State took the lead two innings later with four runs. Peters highlighted the inning with a two-RBI single to drive in the go-ahead run.
The Bobcats added a pair of insurance runs in the sixth. Tamara Keller led off the frame with a base hit to left and then stole second. Amy Krueger ripped a double of the wall to bring home Keller and a wild pitch by UTSA starter Amanda Nikolenko allowed Krueger to score.
UTSA did threaten in the seventh with bases loaded. Freshman Kelly Cato stroked a one-out single to center field to pull the Roadrunners within two at 6-4, but Ragan Blake, who started the first game, came back to end UTSA’s rally and collect her first save of the season.
Elizabeth Dennis came in relief picked up her first win of the season. Dennis, making her sixth appearance of the season, went 3.1 innings and allowed one run on three hits, while punching out a pair of Roadrunners.
Junior Janeille Nickels (9-10) went three innings and gave up four earned runs. Nikolenko came on in the fourth inning and allowed two runs in three frames, while fanning five Bobcats.
In game one, senior Aimee Murray belted her ninth home run of the season to give the Roadrunners a 1-0 lead in the fourth. However, Leah Boatright’s two-run shot to left gave the Bobcats a 2-1 lead in their half of the frame.
Blake pitched her second gem in as many days, holding the UTSA offense to one run on four hits. She collected six strikeouts en route to her 13th win of the season.
Nikolenko (9-13) went the distance, allowing two runs on three hits, while fanning five.
UTSA returns home to Roadrunner Field for a three-game series against Prairie View A&M from April 6-7.
