· Game 1 box score
· Game 2 box score
· Photo gallery
Sophomore Caitlyn Ivy had three hits, including her league-leading 10th home run of the season, in Tuesday's doubleheader.
SAN ANTONIO — Senior Rudi Cantu and sophomore Caitlyn Ivy each had three hits, including a home run, but it was not enough to overcome No. 15 Texas, as UTSA dropped a pair of one-run games, 8-7 and 4-3, on Tuesday evening at Roadrunner Field.
With the two victories, the Longhorns improved to 28-8 on the season, while the Roadrunners, who have dropped three one-run games to Texas this season, fell to 10-23 overall.
Ivy went 2-for-3 with three RBIs and Cantu and junior Danye Holmes each had a pair of hits in a wild opener that saw the two teams combine for 15 runs and 20 hits.
Texas held a 7-3 advantage after plating four runs in the top of the fifth, highlighted by a pinch-hit, two-out, two-strike, three-run to left field by Shelby Savony.
The Longhorns tacked on another run in the next panel on an RBI single to center by Loryn Johnson, but UTSA would rally to make things interesting in the bottom half of the sixth.
Back-to-back-to-back singles by Holmes, sophomore Laura Little and senior Krista Sitka loaded the bases with no outs. A fielder’s choice erased the lead runner at home, but senior Kelly Cato pushed the first run of the frame across on a groundout to shortstop. Another ground ball to short, this one off the bat of senior Chelsey Chapman, was mishandled, allowing Sitka to score and the bases to remain loaded. Cantu then golfed a 2-2 pitch into center field and Ivy followed with a two-run base hit to center to pull the Roadrunners to within 8-7.
With a 3-0 count to the next batter Holmes, Texas then turned to ace right-hander Blaire Luna. After walking Holmes to load the bags again, Luna got out of the jam with as strikeout.
Cantu stole a home run from Courtney Craig in the top of the seventh to help keep UTSA within a run, but Luna struck out the side in the bottom of the frame to earn her third save of the season.
An RBI single by Amy Hooks gave Texas a 1-0 lead in the top of the first, but Ivy drove in a run with a ground ball base hit up the middle in the bottom of the inning to knot the score at 1-1.
The Longhorns extended their lead to 3-1 with a run in each of the next two panels, including a solo home run by Tallie Thrasher.
UTSA got a run back in the fourth on a towering blast to left field by sophomore Nikki Goff, but UTSA answered with the four-run fifth.
Kim Bruins (7-3) picked up the win for Texas, striking out five and allowing three earned runs (seven total) on 10 hits in 5.2 innings. Hooks and Nadia Taylor had two hits apiece to lead the Longhorns at the plate, while Taylor Hoaglund saw her 21-game hitting streak come to an end.
Cantu and Ivy helped stake UTSA to a 3-0 lead in the nightcap, as Cantu led off with a solo shot over the right center field fence, her second home run of the season, and Ivy launched a two-run blast, her Southland Conference-leading 10th long ball, that plated sophomore Ashley Kappler.
After three scoreless panels, Texas got the bats going in the fourth. Hoaglund and Johnson, who was 3-for-4, slugged two-run blasts to give the Longhorns a 4-3 advantage.
Again, Texas turned to Luna to close the deal. She fanned four in three hitless and scoreless frames to secure her second save of the day and fourth of the year.
Erin Tresselt (6-1) picked up the win, striking out three and allowing three runs on three hits in four panels.
Humpal was tagged with the hard-luck loss, despite allowing just one run on one hit in one inning.
The Roadrunners host Southeastern Louisiana this Friday-Saturday, April 2-3.