· Game 1 box score
· Game 2 box score
Junior Kristin Kappler's pinch-hit, two-run single helped UTSA win Friday night's opening game.
SAN ANTONIO — Junior Kristin Kappler’s pinch-hit, two-run single in the bottom of the sixth inning helped lift the UTSA softball team to a 3-1 victory over Texas State in game one of a Southland Conference doubleheader Friday evening. Shelby Carnline’s two-run double in the 10th inning helped the Bobcats take the nightcap, 6-4, at Roadrunner Field.
With the split, the Roadrunners moved to 21-27 overall and 13-13 in the league and have won eight of their last 10 contests. Texas State moved to 22-20 and 17-6, one game back of first place Stephen F. Austin in the loss column.
UTSA used a strong pitching performance from junior Emily Humpal in the opener of the doubleheader that was being played in honor of former Roadrunner hurler Hope Ortiz, who passed away after an eight-month battle with leukemia at the age of 23 on May 22, 2008.
The Corpus Christi native struck out four and surrendered just one unearned run on four hits and four walks to run her record to 12-13 on the season. It was her third complete-game victory in her last four outings and she improved to 7-4 in conference play.
UTSA pushed a run across with the benefit of an error in the bottom of the third. Sophomore Nikki Goff drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by senior Kelly Cato and to third on a bunt single by senior Rudi Cantu. Texas State catcher Macie Hair tried to pick off Cantu at first, but her throw got away from the first baseman, allowing Goff to touch home easily and give the Roadrunners a 1-0 lead.
The Roadrunners picked up two big insurance runs in the sixth. Sophomore Caitlyn Ivy got things going with a ground ball base hit up the middle. Junior Danye Holmes walked and senior Krista Sitka advanced Ivy and freshman pinch runner Samantha Beeson with a sac bunt. After a strikeout, Kristin Kappler was summoned from the bench to pinch hit and came through with a clutch, two-out base hit up the middle to give UTSA a 3-0 cushion.
Texas State made things interesting in the top of the seventh. Allyse Rother reached on a fielding error by the shortstop and Kristina Tello singled to short left field to put runners at first and second with one out. Humpal fanned Anna Hernandez for the second out, but Haley Lemons grounded a ball up the middle that the shortstop fielded cleanly and tossed to second base for the force. However, the throw was not in time and the ball was dropped, allowing Rother to scoot home with the first run of the game. Humpal got out of the jam with a ground ball to the third baseman Goff, who stepped on third for the easy out to end the game.
Chandler Hall (14-10) struck out eight, but allowed three runs – two earned – on four hits and four walks in the loss.
The nightcap, UTSA’s second 10-inning game in the past six days, saw Texas State race out to a 4-1 lead through the first four innings.
Rother singled and later scored on a wild pitch in the top of the first, but UTSA answered in the bottom of the inning with an RBI single by Holmes that plated Cantu, who led off with an infield single.
A sac fly by Leah Boatright with the bases loaded plated Rother and the throw into third base on the play ended up in the UTSA dugout, allowing Lemons to cross, as well. Hernandez homered to left field to lead off the fourth to give the Bobcats a three-run lead.
UTSA rallied with three runs over the next three frames, including two in the fifth on RBI singles by Ivy and sophomore Ashley Kappler.
Trailing by one in the bottom of the seventh, Ivy drilled a double off the fence in left field with one down and pinch runner Beeson scored on a base hit up the middle by Holmes to force extra innings.
After two scoreless panels, the international tiebreaker rule was put into effect in the 10th and Texas State took full advantage. A sac bunt moved McKenzie Baack, the last out of the previous inning placed on second base, to third. Jenna Emery was hit by a pitch and another sac bunt put runners at second and third with two down. Carnline then laced a double to the fence in center field to give the Bobcats a 6-4 advantage.
Ashley Kappler was placed on second in the home half of the 10th. A single by Kristin Kappler put runners at the corners, but Hall got three strikeouts to end the threat and earn the split.
Rother led the Bobcats at the plate by going 4-for-6 with a pair of runs scored, while Tello, Hernandez and Lemons collected two base knocks apiece.
Hall picked up the win in relief to run her record to 15-10. She fanned six and allowed just two hits in 3.2 scoreless frames.
Cantu was 3-for-5 with two runs scored, while Ivy, Holmes, and the Kappler sisters had two hits each. Humpal was tagged with the loss after giving up one earned run on four hits in three panels.
Game three has been moved from noon to 1 p.m. Saturday due to expected inclement weather and UTSA’s senior class will be honored prior to first pitch.