? Game 1 box score
? Game 2 box score
| Sophomore Krista Sitka hit her first two homers of the year on Tuesday night. |
SAN ANTONIO ? Sophomore Rudi Cantu collected four hits and sophomore Krista Sitka slugged a pair of home runs, but it was not enough, as Texas A&M-Corpus Christi swept a doubleheader from UTSA, 8-4 in eight innings and 3-1, on Tuesday night in the Southland Conference opener for both teams.
The Islanders improved to 7-7 overall, while the Roadrunners fell to 4-8.
UTSA trailed 4-0 through the first four innings in game one, allowing two unearned runs in the second inning on a two-out infield error and a two-run homer from Margo Hurdt in the third.
The Roadrunners pushed through for a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth, as senior Kourtney Jones led off with an infield single, advanced to second on a ground out and scored on a two-out single to center field by Cantu. Junior Leanne Risberg followed with a clutch double to right to cut the deficit in half.
Sitka led off the sixth with her first home run of the season, a towering blast that, despite a howling north wind blowing straight in from center, just cleared the fence in right center field.
UTSA loaded the bases with no outs in the seventh, as Cantu and Risberg drew back-to-back walks and freshman Danye Holmes singled to right to fill the bags. Sitka followed with what appeared to be a short single to left center, plating Cantu easily from third with the tying run. However, Risberg was forced out at third to take away the base hit and turn it into a fielder’s choice. A ground out moved both runners up and a walk to freshman Kristin Kappler loaded the bases with two down, but A&M-Corpus Christi starter Nicole Russel worked out of the jam by inducing a pop up.
The Islanders quickly built a big lead in the first extra frame.
Back-to-back singles by Andrea Simancas and Stephanie Estrada chased UTSA senior starter Amanda Nikolenko. Senior reliever Janeille Nickels greeted her first batter with a strikeout, but Kim Connelly reached on an error and Lauren Peters followed with a single to score Simancas with the go-ahead run. Andrea Gonzalez then lined a single up the middle to send two more runners home and Lauren Sanders capped the scoring with an infield single to put A&M-Corpus Christi up, 8-4.
Russell worked a perfect eighth to secure the win. She improved to 4-3 on the season, allowing four runs on eight hits and striking out six. Nikolenko (2-3) fanned five but gave up four earned runs on nine hits in seven innings in the loss.
Cantu, Risberg and Holmes all collected two hits apiece in game one, while Sitka drive in a pair of runs to lead UTSA at the plate. Sanders, Simancas and Gonzalez posted two hits each for the Islanders.
A&M-Corpus Christi jumped on top 2-0 through three innings in the nightcap.
Larissa Martin, the game two starter in the circle, doubled to left center to lead off the second and scored when the throw into home was relayed to second to tag out Gonzalez, who singled to center. The Islanders tacked on an unearned run in the third, as Simancas reached on an error and scored on a sacrifice fly to right by Hurdt.
An RBI double by Gonzalez plated Connelly, who reached on a wild pitch on a swinging third strike, with the third run in the top of the sixth inning.
Sitka led off the bottom of the frame with her second solo shot of the evening, this time to center field, to cut the deficit to 3-1. Sophomore Cassie Miller was hit by a pitch with one out in the inning, the third hit batter of the game for UTSA, but senior pinch runner Kim Chavez was stranded after a pair of pop ups.
UTSA mounted one last rally in the bottom of the seventh, as Cantu singled and went to second on a throwing error by the shortstop on the play. Martin got out of the game unscathed with a Risberg ground out and deep fly ball to right by Holmes.
Martin scattered five hits and allowed just one run, despite not recording a strikeout and hitting three batters, to improve to 2-0 in the season. Nickels gave up two earned runs on seven hits in five and one-third innings in falling to 1-2.
Cantu was 2-for-3 and Sitka, Holmes and Perry also collected hits for the Roadrunners, while Gonzalez was 3-for-3 to lead the Islanders.
Game three is set for 1 p.m. on Wednesday.