SAN ANTONIO — Three unearned runs helped Sam Houston State build a 6-1 lead and hold off UTSA despite a late rally and the Bearkats salvaged the final game of this weekend's series, 6-5, on Sunday afternoon at Roadrunner Field.
Freshman Molly Fichtner led the way for the Roadrunners (11-15, 7-5 SLC), who saw their five-game winning streak come to an end. Fichtner went 2-for-4 on the afternoon with a double, her Southland Conference-leading eighth home run and a pair of RBIs.
Sam Houston State (12-20, 4-7 SLC) put up three runs on the scoreboard in the opening inning thanks to a two-run homer by Alex Survant and a solo blast from Shelbi Tucker.
UTSA opened its half of the first with a walk and single to set the table for Fichtner, who lined an run-scoring double to right center to make it 3-1. After a pair of strikeouts, junior Caitlyn Ivy walked to load the bases, but Tomi Garrison notched her third punchout of the frame to end the threat.
The Bearkats quickly got that run back and added another in the second with the help of two defensive miscues by the Roadrunners.
With two outs and a runner on second, junior Ashley Kappler couldn’t handle a play off the bat of Hailey Wiginton, which put runners on the corners, and both scored a batter later when sophomore left fielder Samantha Beeson couldn’t haul in a fly ball and that pushed the lead to four at 5-1.
Sam Houston recorded their final run of the day in the third when Tayler Gray scored on a close play at the plate. Gray led off the panel with a double to left center and moved to third on a passed ball before scoring on a fielder’s choice by Sarah Allison. It was the third unearned run of the day and proved to be the difference in the contest.
The comeback effort began in the bottom half of the frame when Fichtner and senior Kristin Kappler led off with back-to-back home runs. Fichtner’s line drive home run over the fence in left was her second in as many days, while Kappler’s towering drive bounced off the scoreboard in left center to bring UTSA within three.
The Roadrunners had a chance to tie it in the sixth.
Junior Nikki Goff and freshman Jori Fox reached base via a single to left and a walk, respectively, before Beeson’s sharp single up the middle plated Goff. Ashley Kappler then picked up her seventh RBI of the year with an infield single that glanced off a diving Alyssa Coggins at second to trim the deficit to one. Fichtner came to the plate looking to tie the score and nearly did, had it not been for a sensational back-handed play by Coggins and flip to second to end the inning.
UTSA had one final chance in the seventh, but Kristin Kappler’s leadoff single up the middle was erased on a double play and Garrison got Ivy to foul out to end the game.
Despite giving up five runs on 10 hits, Garrison improved to 9-10 on the spring. She recorded six strikeouts in going the distance.
Junior Morgan Luksa (1-6) took the loss for the Roadrunners after allowing five runs (three earned) on four hits in 1.2 innings.
UTSA will be back on the diamond next weekend for a three-game series at McNeese State (11-18, 5-7 SLC).
