TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — UTSA tied the game with a seventh-inning rally, but Louisville pushed across four runs in the 10th and the Cardinals sent the Roadrunners to their eight consecutive defeat with a 7-3 victory on Sunday in the final contest for each team at the Bama Bash.
Freshman Molly Fichtner tied a school record with four walks to go along with her fifth home run of the weekend to lead the Roadrunners (2-8), while Jennifer Esteban was 4-for-5 with two RBIs and a stolen base to pace the Cardinals (5-5).
Starter Danye Holmes worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the first before Louisville scratched out a run in the second. Esteban’s two-out single up the middle plated Hannah Kiyohara, who advanced from first to third on a pair of wild pitches.
That lead was erased when Fichtner led off the bottom half of the frame with her sixth long ball of the spring.
The Cardinals regained the advantage in the fourth when Maggie Ruckenbrod’s single through the right side scored Colby Wherry, who doubled to lead off the panel.
UTSA answered again in the bottom of the frame. The Birds loaded the bases on singles by junior Caitlyn Ivy and senior Kristin Kappler along with a Fichtner walk. However, the Roadrunners managed to score just once in the inning on junior Nikki Goff’s single to center.
An inning later, junior Ashley Kappler gave UTSA its first lead of the day with her first home run of the season. The Lake Jackson native ran the count full before depositing Tori Collins’ offering over the wall in left for the 3-2 lead.
Just three outs from the victory, the Roadrunners were unable to close it out in the seventh.
Pinch-hitter Katie Keller lined a one-out single to center with runners on second and third to tie the game. Esteban tried to give Louisville the lead, but junior Laura Little threw a perfect strike to Fichtner at home to preserve the tie.
Both squads stranded runners in the eighth and ninth before the Cardinals broke through with four runs in the 10th.
The Roadrunners loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom of the inning, but all three runners were left stranded when Goff popped out to end the contest.
Collins (2-2) was the winner in relief, while sophomore Haylee Staton (1-3) took the loss out of the bullpen after giving up five runs on nine hits in six innings.
Fichtner and senior Carrie Monroe both were named to the all-tournament team.
Fichtner was 6-for-10 (.600) this weekend with a triple, the aforementioned five homers and seven RBIs. She also drew seven walks and scored seven of the Roadrunners' 13 runs. Meanwhile, Monroe went 6-for-18 (.333) with a pair of doubles and was flawless in 34 chances at shortstop, which extended her streak to 55 without an error.
UTSA will be back in action on Friday, Feb. 25, when it travels to Denton for a 6 p.m. game at North Texas (5-5).
