SAN ANTONIO ? The UTSA softball team will begin a stretch of six non-conference games with a doubleheader at Houston Baptist on Wednesday, April 15. First pitch in game one is set for 2 p.m. at Husky Field and HBU will provide live Internet audio online here.
The Roadrunners enter the doubleheader at 21-20 on the season, while the Huskies are 13-18 after sweeping a pair of games at Northwood on April 9.
The twinbill is the second of the season between the two teams as the Roadrunners took a pair of contests from the Huskies on March 31 at Roadrunner Field. Junior Rudi Cantu’s bases-loaded single in the bottom of the seventh inning lifted UTSA to a 3-2 victory in the lid-lifter, while freshman Caitlyn Ivy slugged two home runs ? including a grand slam ? in a 10-3 rout in the nightcap.
UTSA has won five of its last eight games dating back to that HBU doubleheader. Junior Rudi Cantu leads the offense with a .310 batting average and 15 stolen bases, while freshman Amber Anderson is hitting .309 with team bests of nine doubles and 23 RBIs. Senior Leanne Risberg is batting .303 with a team-leading five home runs and 19 RBIs and junior Krista Sitka carries a five-game hitting streak into Wednesday.
Sophomores Dany? Holmes and Emily Humpal lead a pitching staff that has registered a 3.05 team ERA and 201 strikeouts. Holmes is 8-8 with a team-best 2.28 ERA and 90 strikeouts, while Humpal is 11-9 with a 2.90 ERA and 91 Ks.
It will be a homecoming for the majority of the Roadrunners as UTSA has 10 players on its active roster that hail from the Greater Houston Area: Anderson (Alvin), Cantu (Alvin), Holmes (Sugar Land/Kempner HS), juniors Kelly Cato (Angleton/Brazoswood HS), Chelsey Chapman (Houston/Clear Lake HS) and Krista Sitka (Houston/Dobie HS), sophomore Kristin Kappler (Lake Jackson/Brazoswood HS) and freshmen Ashley Kappler (Lake Jackson/Brazoswood HS), Laura Little (Spring) and Morgan Luksa (League City/Clear Creek HS).
HBU is a member of the Great West Conference and will begin competing for league championships in softball next season. Laine Skelton leads the offense with a .369 batting average, while Kali Johnson has the top power numbers with eight doubles, two triples, four home runs and 18 RBIs.
Right-handers Kristi Malpass (3-4, 2.33), Beth Evans (5-7, 2.61) and Jammie Weidert (5-7, 3.44) make up a pitching staff that has a combined ERA of 2.90 and 180 strikeouts.
Following Wednesday’s doubleheader, UTSA will return home to host Cal State Bakersfield in a three-game series this Saturday-Sunday, April 18-19.
