· Game 1 box score
· Game 2 box score
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| Sophomore Rachel Rackley return to the lineup was special, as she brought home the winning run in Saturday's second game. |
SAN ANTONIO – Sophomore Rachel Rackley capped off her return to the lineup with a game-winning single in the bottom of the seventh inning as UTSA downed Northwestern State, 6-5, in game two to split a doubleheader on a windy Saturday at Roadrunner Field. Amanda Glenn struck out 14 and Kelly Corliss had the game-winning hit in the eighth inning of the opener, a 2-0 Demons victory.
The Roadrunners move to 13-7 in the Southland Conference and 21-24 on the year with the split. The Demons now stand 22-26 and 12-11.
Rackley, who saw her first action since a loss to Texas A&M on Feb. 18 because of an arm injury, went 3-for-3 with a home run and three runs batted in as part of a nine-hit showing by the Roadrunners in game two. With the bases loaded and one out, she lined a single off the outstretched glove of Demons third baseman Margaret Patterson into left field to score sophomore Leanne Risberg with the winning run. The Baytown native also had a hit in the first game and finished the day 4-for-7 at the plate.
Senior Jessica Rogers went 2-for-3 with a pair of RBIs on her SLC-leading 66th career home run in the nightcap. She also had doubles in both contests and extended her hitting streak to nine games. Senior Aimee Murray had three hits on the afternoon, including a two-bagger in the opener.
UTSA jumped on Glenn, who finished with 21 strikeouts on the day, for two runs in the bottom of the first in game two. Rogers doubled to right field and scored on a Murray seeing-eye single just past the glove of Demons shortstop Ainsley Pellerin. Rackley drove in Murray with a base hit to left field to put the Roadrunners up, 2-0.
The Demons responded two frames later with four runs in the top of the third. Back-to-back doubles by Lindsey Gorski and Patterson cut the deficit in half. Glenn drew a walk and Patterson scored on a double down the left-field line by Amanda Jameson to knot the score at 2-2. Michelle Castellano drove in Glenn with a single to short center field to put the Demons ahead and Jameson scored on a two-out fielding error to push their lead to 4-2.
Rackley drilled the first pitch she saw from Glenn in the fourth deep into the trees beyond the center field fence to pull UTSA to within 4-3. Rogers blasted her 15th of the season in the fifth, a long shot into the trees behind the wall in right field that scored Cantu and put the Roadrunners up, 5-4.
Northwestern State rallied to tie the game in the seventh. With two down and Castellano on third, pinch hitter Kristen Lindley lifted a pop-up to short right field that glanced off the glove of second baseman Kelly Cato’s diving attempt to plate Castellano with the tying run. Cantu, the right fielder, alertly picked up the loose ball and threw out Lindley trying to slide back into first base safely on the play.
That set the stage for Rackley’s heroics in the bottom of the seventh. Risberg and Rogers drew back-to-back walks and Murray singled to center to load the bags with one out. Rackley then hit a sharp line drive off Patterson’s glove into left field to win it.
Junior right-hander Amanda Nikolenko, who worked out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the fifth, earned the win in relief of junior starter Janeille Nickels. She allowed one run on two hits and struck out three in three innings of work to run her record to 11-14. Glenn struck out seven and allowed six runs on nine hits in falling to 13-13.
Glenn and Nikolenko provided a pitcher’s duel in game one. Glenn’s 14 strikeouts were one shy of an opponent high, while Nikolenko punched out four and did not allow a walk in the hard-luck loss.
UTSA had the first scoring threat in the bottom of the fourth as Rogers reached on a fielding error and Murray walked to put runners on first and second with no outs. Glenn struck out the side to end the frame.
The Roadrunners left runners on first and second again in the fifth and then wasted a golden opportunity in the sixth. Murray led off with a line drive double to the fence in left and moved to third on a fly ball to right off the bat of Rackley. Glenn wrapped a pair of strikeouts around a walk to freshman Krista Sitka to get out of the jam.
Meanwhile, Nikolenko was cruising for UTSA as she faced the minimum through six innings. Northwestern State left its first runner on base in the seventh as Gorski was stranded at second after a leadoff single and a stolen base.
The Demons broke through for a pair of runs in the top of the eighth. Randi Stuard reached on a fielder’s choice and scored on Corliss’ two-out double to the fence in right field. Cary Bruno chopped a single down the left field line to plate pinch runner Mallorie Thornton with an insurance run.
The Roadrunners mounted a late rally in their last at-bat. Rogers doubled to the gap in right center with one out, but Glenn got a fly ball and two strikeouts to end the game.
Game three is set for noon Sunday.