HUNTSVILLE ? Junior Janeille Nickels tossed her first shutout of the season and seniors Jessica Rogers and Aimee Murray drove in two runs apiece to lead No. 4-seed UTSA past No. 3 Texas State, 4-0, in the opening round of the Southland Conference Tournament held Friday at Bearkat Softball Complex.
With the win, the Roadrunners improve to 27-29 on the year and advance to face No. 2 Sam Houston State at 1:30 p.m. Friday. The Bobcats fall to 29-25 and face elimination against top seed UTA at 11 a.m. Friday.
Nickels was brilliant and received strong help from her defense in her 14th complete game of the season. In a pitching duel with the SLC Pitcher of the Year Ragan Blake, the right-hander scattered six hits, struck out two and allowed no walks in running her record to 13-12.
UTSA broke open a scoreless game with four runs in the top of the seventh inning. Redshirt freshman Kelly Cato led off with a single through the left side of the infield and moved to second on a one-out walk to sophomore Leanne Risberg. Following a strikeout, Rogers lined a double to center field that plated Cato ahead of the throw. Risberg also came home on the play and was safe after knocking the ball loose from a TexasState player covering home. Murray followed with a sky-high home run to center field to push home Rogers and make it 4-0.
The Bobcats made things interesting in the bottom of the seventh, loading the bases on a single and a pair of walks. Nickels worked out of the jam with a strikeout of pinch hitter Lacey Duncan and a first-pitch fly ball to left off the bat of leadoff hitter Amy Krueger.
Rogers finished the game 2-for-4 with a pair of RBIs, while Murray’s career-best 16th home run of the season increased UTSA’s season total to 73. Risberg, sophomore Rachel Rackley and freshman Krista Sitka also had base hits for the Roadrunners, who beat TexasState for just the second time in the last nine meetings.
Karen Taylor had a pair of hits for the Bobcats, while Blake gave up four runs on seven hits and four walks, but did strike out seven batters in falling to 23-14.
