HOUSTON — UTSA pounded out 24 hits and wrapped up a six-game roadtrip with a pair of 6-1 victories at Texas Southern onWednesday afternoon at Memorial Park.
The Roadrunners improved to 9-14 after winning their second and third games in a row. Meanwhile, the Lady Tigers fell to 8-14.
Junior AshleyKappler celebrated her 21st birthday in a big way by going 3-for-4 in both games, while junior Nikki Goffcollected three hits, including a two-run home run and a career-high three RBIs inthe sweep.
After failing to capitalize on a leadoff single in thefirst inning of the opener, Goff made sure that was not be the case in the nightcap.
Junior Caitlyn Ivy led off the frame with a single tocenter and, a batter later, Goff worked the count full before crushing her secondhomer of the spring, which gave UTSA a 2-0 lead. The ball stayed just inside theleft-field foul pole as it sailed over the fence.
The Roadrunners tacked on a run an inning later with apair of hits and an error.
Senior Carrie Monroe picked up hersecond hit of the game on a one-out bunt single before Ashley Kappler doubled toleft center. Monroe stopped at third on the play, but shortstopPrincess Daniels bobbled the relay throw, which allowed the Roadrunners' second baseman to break for home andscore easily.
A two-out single up themiddle by Yesenia Torres in the bottom of the third produced Texas Southern's lone run, cutting the lead to3-1.
That was it for the Lady Tigers.
UTSA got thatrun back in the fourth when senior Emily Humpal came in and delivered a two-out, run-scoring single through the left side.
Ashley Kappler scored on an error in the seventh and Goff collected her third RBI with a single to left center for the final margin.
Freshman Katy Akins (1-1) picked up the win in relief after tossing two scoreless innings. Senior Danye Holmesearned her first save of the season with two hitless innings.
It was much the same in the second game two and UTSA never trailed.
It again was Ashley Kappler who got things going with aone-out single to left before stealing second. Three batters later, Holmes'single through the right side plated Kappler for the early advantage.
She scored again in the third, hustling all the way fromsecond on a double play.
The Roadrunners put the game out of reach with four runsin the fourth.
Junior Laura Little collected an RBI on a bunt single,while freshman Molly Fichtner plated a pair with a base hit through the right side.UTSA then tallied its fourth run of the inning on another Lady Tigers miscue.
Texas Southern scratched out a run in the bottom of thefifth on a run-scoring single to left by Tenesha Skrine.
Reliever Morgan Luksa retired the side in the seventh topick up her second save of the campaign. She went three innings and allowed just an unearnedrun. Humpal, meanwhile, improved to 3-0 after surrendering four hits and strikingout five in four frames of work.
The Roadrunners will return home for just the second time this season whe it hosts Sam HoustonState in a three-game Southland Conference series this weekend. The set begins with a 1 p.m. doubleheader on Saturday.