| Junior Rudi Cantu had the sixth triple of her career on Sunday. |
LAKE CHARLES, La. ? Junior Rudi Cantu moved into a tie for second place on UTSA’s career triples chart, but Heather Mosser went 3-for-3 with three RBIs to lead McNeese State to a 6-2 victory on Sunday afternoon at Cowgirl Diamond.
The win completed a sweep of the three-game Southland Conference series for McNeese, who improved to 8-1 in the league and 12-15 overall. The Roadrunners fell to 10-11 and 5-4.
Cantu registered her sixth career triple in the third inning to move into a tie with Jennifer Davis for second place behind record-holder Shannon Steadman (7). Freshman Ashley Kappler doubled behind her in the order to drive in the first run of the game for UTSA. Senior Leanne Risberg, juniors Kelly Cato and Cassie Miller and sophomore Emily Humpal also recorded a hit apiece for the Roadrunners.
UTSA found runs tough to come by against McNeese starter Bethany Stefinsky (7-8), who fanned eight batters and allowed just two runs on six hits in her second straight complete-game victory.
The Cowgirls pushed across four runs in the bottom of the first. With the bases loaded and two down, Mosser lined a single to right field that was then mishandled, clearing the bags. Tiffany Denham then drove in Mosser with a base hit to give McNeese a four-run lead.
McNeese answered Kappler’s RBI-double by manufacturing a run in the bottom of the third. Whitney Corbello singled, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt and to third on a base hit by Mosser and scored on a groundout to third by Denham.
The Cowgirls tacked on another run in the fifth as Corbello walked and crossed home on a double by Molly Guidry to make it 6-1.
Humpal led off the seventh with a double and sophomore Dany? Holmes reached on an error by the shortstop to put runners at first and second with no outs. A passed ball then moved pinch runners junior Chelsey Chapman to third and freshman Elyse Seals to second. Miller then lined a single into the outfield to plate Chapman, but Stefinsky got out of the jam with a lineout double play and a popup to secure the win.
Humpal allowed four earned runs on 10 hits in falling to 4-5 on the year.
The Roadrunners will host Houston Baptist in a non-conference twinbill at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11.