HAMMOND, La. — Three players drove in two runs apiece to help the UTSA softball team salvage a doubleheader split with an 8-0 run-rule victory after dropping the opener, 7-1, at Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday at North Oak Park.
Junior Ashley Kappler went 2-for-4 with two doubles and a pair of RBIs in the second game to lead the Roadrunners (17-21, 9-11 SLC).
The Lady Lions (15-19, 5-9 SLC) led throughout the opener and jumped ahead with three runs in the second. A throwing error by junior Caitlyn Ivy led to a pair of unearned runs and Megan Moore and Megan McCollum picked up run-scoring singles, while Kelsey Nichols collected an RBI after being hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.
Southeastern stretched the lead to 4-0 in the fourth with three consecutive two-out singles.
UTSA avoided a shutout when freshman Molly Fichtner led off the sixth with her 10th home run of the season.
That was all the Roadrunners managed against Terry, who improved to 3-3 on the season after giving up five hits, walking three and fanning a pair.
It was a different story in game two, as the Roadrunners grabbed a 2-0 lead in the third thanks to Kappler’s two-run double with two out.
Junior Laura Little drew a walk and freshman Siera Sproul’s fielder’s choice put runners on first and second with two out. Kappler’s blast to left got under the glove of Nichols and both runners scored.
With starter Emily Humpal cruising, UTSA doubled their lead in the fourth with four consecutive hits to start the stanza.
Seniors Kristin Kappler and Danyé Holmes lined singles to left center and right field, respectively, before Ivy’s base hit off the wall in left loaded the bases for Humpal, who delivered a double off reliever Bailey Zeivert that landed just inside the left-field line. The Roadrunners missed out on a bigger inning when Ivy was thrown out at home trying to score on a wild pitch.
UTSA ended any thoughts of a Southeastern comeback in the sixth with four more runs off Zeivert.
Little ignited the rally with a one-out single up the middle and Sproul reached on an error by Zeivert on a sacrifice bunt. That put runners on second and third for senior Carrie Monroe, who placed a perfect bunt between first and the pitching circle for a two-run infield hit. Ashley Kappler’s second double of the game chased Zeivert from the contest in favor of Jessie Browne.
Browne struggled and she allowed Monroe to score on an illegal pitch and Ashley Kappler scored during the same at-bat via a passed ball for the final margin.
Junior Morgan Luksa entered the game and threw a perfect inning of relief in the sixth to end the game.
Humpal (7-3) scattered four hits in five shutout innings and recorded five strikeouts.
The rubber game of the series will be played at noon on Sunday.
