AUSTIN — UTSA out-hit No. 3 Texas, but Torie Schmidt’s fielder’s choice in the bottom of the eighth plated the winning run and the Longhorns extended their winning streak to eight with a 2-1 victory on Tuesday night at Red & Charline McCombs Field.
Freshman Molly Fichtner went 3-for-4 to lead the Roadrunners (25-24), while senior Danye Holmes allowed just three hits and one unearned run in five innings of work in the circle.
The Longhorns (42-4) took an early lead in the first with an unearned run.
Taylor Hoagland led off the frame with a fly ball to right that was dropped by sophomore Samantha Beeson, who nearly collided with junior Laura Little in right center. Hoagland advanced to second on the play and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt before crossing the plate on a grounder by Amy Hooks.
Holmes settled in after the frame and, at one point, retired nine consecutive batters.
Rachel Fox kept the UTSA offense quiet until the fifth, when the Roadrunners benefitted from a Texas error.
After Holmes singled to lead off the stanza, freshman Siera Sproul pinch ran and moved to second on junior Nikki Goff’s sacrifice bunt. Senior Carrie Monroe then reached on a bunt single back to Fox, who threw low to Kim Bruins at first. The ball rolled down the right-field line, allowing Sproul to tie the game.
The score remained knotted at one until the bottom of the eighth when Taylor Thom and Hooks hit back-to-back singles to start the frame. A sacrifice bunt put both runners in scoring position and Thom scored on Schmidt’s slow roller to second. Junior Ashley Kappler threw home, but it was not in time.
Fox (18-1) went the distance and recorded 13 strikeouts without a walk, while junior Morgan Luksa (3-7) allowed the game-winning run on a pair of hits in 1.1 innings.
UTSA will wrap up the regular season this weekend with a three-game set at I-35 rival Texas State (26-19, 17-7 SLC). The Roadrunners and Bobcats will meet for a doubleheader at 5 p.m. on Friday before concluding the series at 1 p.m. the next day.
