UTSA gets back on winning track with doubleheader sweep at Northwestern StateUTSA gets back on winning track with doubleheader sweep at Northwestern State
Softball

UTSA gets back on winning track with doubleheader sweep at Northwestern State

? Game 1 box score
? Game 2 box score


Sophomore Kelly Cato had three hits and four RBIs on Saturday.

NATCHITOCHES, La. ? Sophomore Kelly Cato had three hits and four RBIs and senior Amanda Nikolenko and freshman Danye Holmes tossed complete games, as UTSA took a doubleheader from Northwestern State, 4-2 and 6-1, on Saturday afternoon at Demon Diamond.

The Roadrunners snapped an eight-game losing streak and improved to 20-22 overall and remain in third place in the Southland Conference standings at 15-8. The Lady Demons fell to 8-41 (3-22).

Cato was 2-for-3 with two RBIs in game one and was 1-for-4 with a pair of RBIs in game two to lead a UTSA offense that pounded out 14 hits in the twinbill.

Meanwhile, Nikolenko moved to within one complete game of notching her fifth UTSA career pitching record with her 71st. She struck out three and allowed just two runs on eight hits in running her record to 11-13 overall and 8-6 in conference play.

Holmes was solid in game two, retiring the first nine batters and allowing just one run on four hits in moving to 6-6 overall and 5-1 in league play.

Cato had two of UTSA’s four hits in the opener, giving the Roadrunners an early lead in their first at-bat. UTSA took advantage of three free passes from NSU starter Sara Dornelas to load the bases with two outs in the top of the first inning. Cato came through with a two-run single to right field to put the Roadrunners up early, 2-0.

The Roadrunners added a run in the second, as sophomore Chelsey Chapman reached on a fielder’s choice, moved to second in a single through the left side of the infield by junior Leanne Risberg, advanced to third on a wild pitch and then scored on another wild pitch, just beating the tag at the plate.

An RBI-single by freshman Whitney Balch pushed across another run in the fifth to extend the lead to 4-0.

Northwestern State broke through in the bottom of the sixth inning, as Randi Stuard tripled to the wall in right center field to plate a pair of runners. The Demons then brought the tying run to the plate in the seventh, but Nikolenko induced a pop-up to the shortstop to end the game.

Dornelas (6-21) was tagged with the loss after giving up four runs on four hits.

Cato again produced a two-out, bases-loaded single in the first in game two. Holmes started the two-out rally with a single up the middle and sophomore Krista Sitka and freshman Kristin Kappler followed with base hits to set the table for Cato, who punched a single to right center off the glove of the diving center fielder Brittany Card.

Senior Lindsay Perry got things going in the second with a one-out single to center, while walks to sophomore Rudi Cantu and Holmes loaded the bases with two outs. Sitka then drew a walk and Kappler followed with a single to left to extend the lead to 4-0.

A sacrifice fly by Cantu in the third plated senior Kourtney Jones, who singled, with the fifth run of the game in the third.

The Demons pushed a run across in the fourth on an infield single by Cari Bruno, but that was all the offense Northwestern State could muster against Holmes, as UTSA tacked on a run in the seventh on Cantu’s second sac fly of the game and cruised to the 6-1 victory.

Katey Barr (2-15) took the loss, allowing five runs on nine hits in three innings.

Game three is set for noon on Sunday.