· Game 1 box score
· Game 2 box score
| Sophomore Leanne RIsburg hit two home runs and drove in six on Friday. |
SAN ANTONIO – Sophomore Leanne Risberg went a combined 5-for-6 with two doubles, two home runs and six runs batted in to help lead UTSA to a 10-2, 15-0 doubleheader sweep of Prairie View A&M on Friday afternoon at Roadrunner Field.
Risberg led an offensive explosion by the Roadrunners, who stopped a five-game skid and improved to 20-23 on the season. UTSA scored 25 runs on 19 hits - including five home runs - in the twinbill in running their home record to 10-5 on the year. The Panthers fell to 4-17.
Risberg was 3-for-3 with a double, a home run and three RBIs in the opener and went 2-for-3 with another two-bagger and round-tripper and three RBIs in the nightcap. Senior Aimee Murray had three hits, including two long balls, and five RBIs on the afternoon, while freshman Rudi Cantu collected three hits and scored five runs. Freshman Brittany Bell made the most of her start behind the plate in game two, going 3-for-3 with two RBIs.
Murray and Risberg increased their season home run totals to 11 and nine respectively with the two-homer output, while senior Jessica Rogers hit her team-best 14th. UTSA, which has led the NCAA in home runs per game each of the last four seasons, now has 48 in 43 games.
UTSA wasted little time building big leads in the first inning of both contests, plating seven runs behind three homers in game one and scoring 12 runs on the strength of nine free passes in the nightcap.
Risberg led off game one with a solo shot to left and Rogers and Murray also went yard in the frame as UTSA built a 7-0 lead on six hits.
The Panthers responded with a pair of runs in the top of the second. Ashley Jones drew a bases-loaded walk and Nikki Lilly drove in Analisa Gonzales with the second run on an error.
The Roadrunners tacked on three in the fourth. Cantu laid down a bunt single in front of the shortstop, stole second and scored on a double to right center by Risberg. Murray later singled through the left side of the infield to score Risberg, while senior Catherine Garza brought home Murray with the 10th run on a single to short center.
Junior Janeille Nickels (10-10) earned the win in three and one-thirds innings, striking out five and allowing one earned run on two hits. Gonzales gave up 10 runs on 10 hits in falling to 4-11.
Game two started with a 12-run output by the Roadrunners in the bottom of the first. Three Panthers pitchers combined for seven walks and two-hit batters, while UTSA pounded out four hits, including home runs by Risberg and Murray. Rogers got things going with a double to right center that scored Risberg and Cantu, who both walked. Free passes to Murray and freshman Mercedes Hessel loaded the bases for freshman Cassie Miller, who helped produce one of the stranger plays of the day on a pop foul ball to the catcher up the third base line that scored Rogers, who alertly tagged and crossed an uncovered home plate. A walk to junior Kim Chavez set the table for the first of Bell’s three hits, a single through the left side of the infield that scored Murray. Risberg and Murray helped cap the big inning with three-run homers.
A single to left by Bell plated Hessel, who walked, to give UTSA a 13-0 lead after three innings.
Shantae Guy broke up a Nikolenko’s no-hit bid with an infield single in the top of the fourth, but was thrown out by Bell trying to steal second.
The Roadrunners tacked on two more in the fourth on an RBI-single by Cantu and a run-scoring double off the fence in left field by Hessel.
Nikolenko picked up the win to run her record to 10-13 on the season, allowing just one hit and striking out seven. Lilly (0-5) took the loss, giving up five runs on one hit and four walks without recording an out.
Game three is set for noon Saturday.