? Game 1 box score
? Game 2 box score
| Junior Rudi Cantu had five hits in Tuesday's doubleheader with UTEP. |
SAN ANTONIO ? Junior Rudi Cantu collected five hits and reached base in all seven plate appearances, but it was not enough as UTEP downed UTSA in a non-conference doubleheader, 2-1 and 11-3, on Tuesday afternoon at Roadrunner Field.
The Miners improved to 17-16 with the sweep, while the Roadrunners fell to 14-15.
Cantu went 3-for-4 (also reached on error) in game one, a heartbreaking 2-1 loss in eight innings, and followed that with a 2-for-2 performance in the nightcap. The Alvin native saw her batting average jump from .277 to .308 at the end of the twinbill.
UTEP used a leadoff home run from Camilla Carrera on the first pitch of the top of the eighth inning to break a 1-1 deadlock and starter Stacie Townsend stranded Cantu at second base in the bottom of the frame with a strikeout and groundout to secure the victory.
Sophomore Emily Humpal was brilliant in the tough loss in the lidlifter, striking out three and allowing just one earned run on five hits in eight innings of work. Her record fell to 8-7 on the season and her streak of consecutive innings without an earned allowed ended at 23.2 frames.
UTEP grabbed an early 1-0 lead in the top of the first with the benefit of a UTSA error. Carrera walked, moved to second on a single by Townsend and then came home on a throwing error with two down off the bat of Ashley Ellis.
UTSA knotted the score in the bottom of the inning, as Cantu reached on an error, stole second, moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Ashley Kappler and scored on a groundout off the bat of freshman Amber Anderson.
From there the game turned into a pitcher’s duel - including 13 in a row set down by Humpal from the last out of the first to the leadoff batter reaching on an error in the sixth - until Carrera’s long ball in the eighth.
The Roadrunner threw the first punch in game two, plating a pair of runs on a two-out single by sophomore Danye Holmes. Cantu was hit by a pitch to start the inning. An error on a ground ball from Anderson put runners at first and second with one down. Holmes followed a strikeout by drilling a pitch to the fence in right center to send both runners home and give UTSA an early 2-0 lead.
The Miners responded in their next at-bat, as Shea Lodes launched a two-run home run to left field to quickly tie the game at 2-2. UTEP extended its lead to 5-2 in the third on a two-out, two-run triple to right field by Ellis, who came home when the ball got away on the infield.
UTSA got one run back in the bottom of the third on an RBI single to right field by sophomore Kristin Kappler that scored senior Leanne Risberg, who singled with one out.
UTEP broke the game open with two runs in the fifth on a two-run single by Ellis and four more in the sixth, including one unearned, to put the eight-run rule into effect.
Kelly Curran struck out four and allowed one earned run on five hits to improve to 7-5. Anderson allowed six earned on eight hits in five frames in falling to 1-3.
The Roadrunners host Central Arkansas this Friday-Saturday, March 27-28.