| |
| Sophomore Krista Sitka's two-run homer lifted UTSA to a 6-4 win on Sunday. |
HUNTSVILLE ? Sophomore Krista Sitka capped a 3-for-4 day at the plate with a two-run home run in the top of the eighth inning to lift UTSA to a 6-4 win at Sam Houston State in the rubber game of a three-game Southland Conference series on Sunday afternoon.
With the win, the Roadrunners finished the regular season at 25-24 overall and tied for second place in the league standings with UT Arlington at 20-10. By virtue of the Mavericks’ series win against the Roadrunners in early March. The Bearkats fell to 30-30 and 15-15.
Sitka had a single, a double and her seventh home run of the season and drove in four runs to lead a nine-hit outburst by the UTSA bats. Sophomore Kelly Cato was 2-for- 3 with a pair of RBIs, while sophomore Rudi Cantu had two hits.
With the game tied at four in the eighth, freshman Danye Holmes got things going with an infield single that fell between the pitcher and catcher on a pop up. Sitka then stepped to the plate and drilled a towering blast over the fence in left center field to put UTSA up, 6-4. Cato followed with a single that chased Sam Houston starter Brandi Crnkovic. Morgan Mikulin came on in relief and got the Bearkats out of the jam.
Sam Houston would not go away quietly in the bottom of the eighth. Following a magnificent diving catch by senior Lindsay Perry in left field that robbed Janaye Richardson of extra bases, back-to-back singles by Sarah Parich and Hailey Wigington brought the winning run to the plate in the form of Tanya Hooser. UTSA senior Janeille Nickels, on in relief of Holmes, induced a fly ball to right center that was gloved by senior Kourtney Jones to end the threat and the game.
The Roadrunners took a 4-0 lead in the top of the third. UTSA loaded the bases with one out, but Crnkovic induced a pop-up to the first baseman for the second out. Sitka then drilled a full-count pitch just over the outstretched glove of the shortstop into left field to plate a pair of runs. Cato followed with a bloop single to right field on the first pitch to put the Roadrunners up, 4-0.
The Bearkats fought back with a pair of runs in both the fourth and fifth innings. A two-out, two-run double to the fence in right field by Laura Burns cut the deficit in half in the fourth. Two-out, RBI-singles by Amy Brown and Amanda Lindsey in the fifth knotted the score at 4-4 and chased Holmes from the circle.
Nickels earned the win in relief to run her record to 5-3. She allowed no runs on four hits and struck out one. Crnkovic gave up six earned runs on eight hits in seven-plus innings in falling to 15-18.
Lindsey went 3-for-4 with an RBI to lead the Bearkats at the plate, while Wigington and Parich collected two hits apiece.
UTSA will be the No. 3 seed for the SLC Tournament and will face thewinner of the No. 6/7 seed game (Nicholls State/Sam Houston State)at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 8, in San Marcos. If the Roadrunners winthat contest, they will play UT Arlington at 4 p.m. on Friday.Saturday's Championship Game is slated for 4 p.m.