SAN ANTONIO — UTSA scored a pair of runs to tie the score in the sixth, but Brittney Lott’s RBI single an inning later lifted Seattle to a 4-3 win in the series opener on Friday night at Roadrunner Field.
Darian Blake went 3-for-4 for her fourth three-hit game of the season to lead the Roadrunners (22-20, 5-8 WAC), who left 10 runners on base. Megan Low and Vivian Tijerina each finished 2-for-3, while Paige Hamilton added an RBI double.
Meanwhile, Lott and Jenny Hurst each collected two hits for the Redhawks (18-23, 7-6). Richelle Ashburn picked up the win in relief after allowing three hits in 1.2 innings.
UTSA grabbed the early lead on Low’s single to right field that scored Blake from third. The Katy native opened the frame with an infield single and the Roadrunners loaded the bases when Siera Sproul coaxed a walk on the 11th pitch of her plate appearance and Tijerina singled to right.
Low followed with her hit to right for her 24th RBI of the season, but Seattle starter Mandie Sugita got a strikeout and grounder to avoid further damage.
The Redhawks tied the score in the third when Rogin Hardy doubled home Allegra Wilde, who started the panel with a single up the middle.
The visitors started the following stanza with a double, single and triple to take a 3-1 and they would not trail again.
UTSA stranded a pair of runners in each of the next two frames before breaking through in the sixth.
Courtney Buchman started the rally with a one-out single to center and came around to score on Hamilton’s double to right center. The shot in the gap gave the San Antonio native her ninth RBI of the campaign and sliced the deficit in half, 3-2.
Blake greeted Ashburn to the contest with her third hit to move Hamilton to third and Samantha Beeson knotted the score, 3-3, with a single up the middle.
However, Isabella Geronimo started the top of the seventh with a single and following a sacrifice bunt, scored the winning run on Lott’s hit up the middle.
The Roadrunners had one last chance in the bottom half of the panel and put the tying run on second with one out. But Ashburn thwarted the comeback with a strikeout and grounder to end the game.
The series will conclude with a doubleheader beginning at 4 p.m. on Saturday. UTSA will hold its annual Strike Out Cancer event to benefit the San Antonio Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in honor of former pitcher Hope Ortiz. A silent auction will start at 3 p.m. with several autographed items and a package of 16 tickets and suite at the Alamodome for a 2013 UTSA football game.