SAN ANTONIO — UTSA swept a Wednesday doubleheader against former Southland Conference foe Texas A&M-Corpus Christi by scores of 9-1 (five innings) and 5-1 at Roadrunner Field.
Samantha Beeson led the offense in the opener by going 2-for-3 with a home run, two runs scored and a career-high four RBIs. Meanwhile, Siera Sproul added a two-run round-tripper for Roadrunners, who improved to 22-19 with the victories.
UTSA also got solid outings from Haylee Staton and Alyssa Vordenbaum in the circle. The duo allowed just two runs and recorded eight strikeouts in their 12 innings of work.
The Islanders (8-33), who now have lost eight of their last nine outings, were paced by Valerie Perez, who led the squad with three hits, including a solo homer.
The Roadrunners struck early in the first game with three runs in the first.
Darian Blake got the rally started with a double to left center and she scored on Beeson’s hit up the middle. The advantage grew to three a batter later when Sproul hit her team-leading sixth long ball of the season to left field.
Courtney Buchman led off the following frame with a single to center and touched home when Paige Hamilton took the first pitch that she saw into the gap in right center.
The lead stood at 4-0 until the fourth when the Birds exploded for five runs, highlighted by Beeson’s three-run blast to left center field.
Jori Fox and Buchman opened the panel with walks before Hamilton notched her second hit with a bunt single. A missed catch by Michelle Sorenson behind the plate allowed Fox and Buchman to score for a 6-0 lead and Beeson then took Bethany Slick’s 1-0 pitch over the wall for her second homer of the spring.
That proved to be more than enough for Vordenbaum (9-8), who went the distance and only surrendered a run in the fifth. The Pasadena native scattered four hits, walked two and fanned a pair.
Slick (1-4) gave up eight earned runs on 10 hits and issued three free passes.
The Roadrunners again jumped out to an early cushion in the second contest with three runs in the second.
Vivian Tijerina, who finished the contest 2-for-3, started the stanza with an infield single and Victoria Birdwell followed with a walk. Tijerina moved to third on a fielder’s choice and another fielder’s choice by Fox loaded the bases for Hamilton.
The San Antonio native picked up an RBI with a grounder to first baseman Meagan McKinney, who unsuccessfully tried to throw home and force out Fox. Blake then drove in a run with a single to left and the Birds tacked on a run a batter later on a throwing error by Perez after Beeson flied out to center.
UTSA added runs on Buchman’s single to right center in the third and Sproul’s grounder in the fourth to take a 5-0 lead.
Perez spoiled the shutout in the sixth with a solo homer to left, but Staton (10-8) allowed no further damage. The Austin native scattered six hits and struck out six.
Constance Brandenburg (5-13) allowed five runs on seven hits.
UTSA will be back in action at 6 p.m. on Friday when they open a three-game home series against Seattle (17-23, 6-6 WAC).