SAN ANTONIO — Junior Caitlyn Ivy’s three-run home run in the first helped UTSA erase an early deficit and the Roadrunners finished a sweep of Northwestern State with a 5-4 victory on Sunday.
The Lady Demons (15-9, 3-3 SLC) took an early 1-0 lead with an unearned run in the opening inning.
Junior second baseman Ashley Kappler dropped a fly ball off the bat of Kylie Roos in short right field with two down. A single and walk loaded the bases for Samantha Roberts, who delivered an RBI single through the left side. Sophomore starter Haylee Staton then got Ashlee England to ground out to end the threat.
The Roadrunners (5-12, 3-3 SLC) answered in the bottom half of the frame.
After freshmen Siera Sproul and Molly Fichtner singled and walked, respectively, with one out, Ivy unloaded on Roos’ 0-1 offering for her first homer of the season, which gave UTSA a 3-1 lead.
Northwestern State tied the score in the second with a pair of doubles and a single. That inning proved to be Staton’s last in the circle, as she handed the ball to senior Emily Humpal to start the third.
Humpal quickly worked around a double and went on to scatter four hits in five innings.
UTSA produced another run in the fourth with some help from the Lady Demons defense.
Kappler got things started with a single up the middle and senior Carrie Monroe followed with a walk. A fielder’s choice put runners on first and second for Fichtner with two outs. The first-year catcher lined a single off reliever Brooke Boening’s leg and raced to first. The ball caromed off Boening to first baseman Brianna Rodriguez, who was expecting a teammate to cover the base, but no one was covering the bag and she tossed the ball into foul territory. The error allowed Monroe to score and the Roadrunners did not trail the rest of the way.
UTSA tacked on an important insurance run in the sixth by executing a double steal with runners on first and third. Monroe broke for second, drawing a throw from Cheyenne DelaGarza-Stills, but Staton dashed home and easily scored when the throw did not beat Monroe to the bag.
That proved to be the difference, as Roos led off the seventh with a solo shot to center off Humpal, but the right-hander induced a grounder and struck out two to secure the weekend sweep.
Humpal racked up eight punchouts and improved to 2-0 on the year for her second victory in as many days.
Boening (4-4) suffered her second defeat of the series after allowing a pair of runs on four hits and four walks in five frames. She fanned seven.
UTSA begins a six-game road swing on Wednesday with a 6:30 p.m. contest at No. 22 Texas A&M (14-6).
