| Sophomore Emily Humpal hit the game-winning home run and earned the win in UTSA's 5-3 victory Monday. |
SAN ANTONIO ?Senior Leanne Risberg and junior Rudi Cantu collected two hits apiece and sophomore Emily Humpal hit her first home run and earned the win in relief to lead UTSA to a 5-3 victory over UT Arlington on Monday afternoon at Roadrunner Field.
With the win, the Roadrunners evened their overall record to 12-12 and improved to 7-5 in the Southland Conference. The Mavericks fell to 8-16 and 4-8.
Risberg went 2-for-3 with an RBI, extending her hitting streak to a season-long nine games and finishing the UTA series 5-for-10 with seven RBIs at the plate. Cantu pounded out a pair of base hits and drove in a run, while Humpal launched her first long ball in a UTSA uniform in the bottom of the fourth inning that proved to be the game-winner. Junior Kelly Cato also went yard with her fourth round-tripper of the season in the sixth to provide an extra insurance run for the Roadrunners, who won their third SLC series of the season.
Humpal ran her record to 6-6 in relief of freshman starter Amber Anderson. She allowed one run on one hit and struck out two in four innings.
The Roadrunners jumped on the board first with a pair of run in the bottom of the first. Cantu led off with a single to short left field, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Ashley Kappler and scored on a base hit up the middle by Risberg. Anderson, who walked before Risberg’s single, later scored on a wild pitch from UTA starter Cara Hulme.
Cantu drove in Cato, who walked, with a base knock to left center in the second to push the lead to 3-0.
The Mavericks picked up a pair of runs in the third on RBI-singles by Heather Fortenberry and Erica LeFlore. UTA knotted the score at 3-all in the next frame as Jaimee Stinson drew a bases-loaded walk from Humpal. The Roadrunners got out of the jam with a fielder’s choice groundout and a popup.
Humpal then led off the bottom of the fourth with a high solo blast over the fence in left center field that proved to be the difference.
The Roadrunners will travel to Hammond, La., to face Southeastern Louisiana in a three-game league set this Saturday-Sunday, March 21-22.