| Senior Leanne Risberg launched her team-leading fifth homer of the year on Saturday. |
SAN ANTONIO ? Senior Leanne Risberg went 2-for-3 with her team-leading fifth home run of the season, but Central Arkansas rallied from a 4-0 deficit to score a 9-6 victory over UTSA in Southland Conference softball action on Saturday afternoon at Roadrunner Field.
Risberg’s home run was a two-run blast to right field that was part of a four-run first inning for the Roadrunners (16-16, 11-7 SLC). Junior Rudi Cantu and sophomore Danye Holmes also collected two hits apiece, while freshman Ashley Kappler hit her first career home run as UTSA pounded out 11 hits in the game.
Luisa Escobar went 2-for-5 with a pair of RBIs to lead Central Arkansas (16-20, 7-8 SLC), which tallied nine runs off nine hits and two UTSA errors. Rachel Baucom also had a pair of hits, including one of two doubles for the Bears, and two RBIs, while Sarah Garcia collected two singles.
UTSA jumped out to a 4-0 lead after one frame, plating four unearned runs with two outs in the bottom of the first. Freshman Amber Anderson started the rally by reaching on a fielding error by the second baseman. Risberg followed with her 30th career home run to put the Roadrunners out to a 2-0 lead. Holmes and sophomore Kristin Kappler kept the inning alive with back-to-back singles and both scored on a junior Krista Sitka double to the fence in left field that was knocked down by the wind from being a sure home run.
The Bears got two runs back in the top of the second on RBI-singles by Escobar and Courtney Brock. UCA knotted the score at 4-all in the next frame with small ball and the benefit of a pair of Roadrunners miscues. Baucom led off with a base hit to left center and moved to second when Kasey Britt was hit by a pitch. Paige Burke laid down a sacrifice bunt to put runners at second and third with one down. Kelly Martino then executed the squeeze play, as she dropped a bunt down the first base line to plate Baucom from third. Britt came home when the throw to first to get Martino was in the dirt. Julie Essary then reached on a sac bunt when the throw to second to force Martino was dropped. UTSA got out of the jam with another sac bunt and a strikeout.
UCA broke the game open with four runs in the sixth, highlighted by a double down the left field by Baucom that plated a pair of runs. The Bears tacked on another run in the seventh on a single up the middle by Garcia to make it 9-4.
UTSA mounted a rally in its final at-bat. Kappler led off with a deep drive over the center field fence. Anderson and Risberg reached on back-to-back singles and Anderson scored on a one-out, pinch-hit single up the middle by freshman Caitlyn Ivy that made it 9-6. After a popup for the second out of the inning, junior Kelly Cato ? the tying run - gave a 1-0 pitch from UCA reliever Cami Newsome a deep ride to left field, but the wind kept the ball in the park and left fielder Kasey Britt secured it for the win.
Newsome earned the win with six innings of relief, striking out two and allowing two earned runs on seven hits to improve to 2-1. Sophomore Emily Humpal fell to 9-8, surrendering six earned on five hits in 4.1 frames of relief.
The Roadrunners will continue the 11-game home stand with a single game against Texas Tech at 1 p.m. on Monday, March 30. UTSA will host Houston Baptist in a doubleheader at 2 p.m. on Tuesday.