| Junior Kristen Sitka had two hits on Monday. |
SAN ANTONIO ? Junior Krista Sitka went 2-for-3, but Alex Watkins was 3-for-4 with seven RBIs and earned the win in the circle to lead Texas Tech to a 9-1 win over UTSA in non-conference action on Monday afternoon at Roadrunner Field.
Watkins had a double and two home runs to lead the Red Raiders (12-28) to their second straight victory. She also struck out 10 and allowed just one run on four hits in running her record to 3-9 on the season.
Sitka had two of the Roadrunners’ (16-17) four hits, as senior Leanne Risberg and sophomore Danye Holmes collected the other two. Holmes, who had the only RBI of the game for UTSA, took the loss after giving up six earned runs on eight hits in 3.2 innings to fall to 6-6 on the year.
The Roadrunners jumped on the board first with a two-out rally in their first at-bat. Freshman Amber Anderson drew her first of two walks on the afternoon and Risberg followed with a single through the left side of the infield. Holmes then drilled a Watkins offering to the fence in left center to plate Anderson and send Risberg to third. The Red Raiders got out of the jam with a groundout.
After one scoreless frame, Tech plated four runs in the third. Leadoff batter Leah Legler, who was 4-for-4 with two runs scored, led off with a bunt single and Megan Shupp drew a one-out walk. Watkins then lined a double down the left field line to plate both baserunners and give Tech the lead. Holley Gentsch then followed a walk to Skyler Peterson with a base hit to center to push Watkins home, while Emily Bledsoe singled to bring home Peterson with the fourth run of the inning.
Watkins went yard to straightaway center field in the next frame with Legler on base to push the Red Raiders’ advantage to 6-1. She put the eight run-rule into effect in the sixth with a three-run blast to left field that plated Legler and Hamada.
UTSA will host Houston Baptist in a doubleheader at 2 p.m. on Tuesday.