SAN ANTONIO — UTSA opened its inaugural Conference USA slate with a doubleheader sweep of Louisiana Tech on a pair of 2-1 victories on Saturday at Roadrunner Field.
The Roadrunners (10-12, 2-0 C-USA) did not allow an earned run in 17 innings of work and improved to 11-2 all-time against the Lady Techsters (8-14, 0-2 C-USA). Nicole Merrill and Kacy Freeze each picked up victories and combined for 15 strikeouts.
UTSA will look for a series sweep when the teams meet at noon on Sunday.
Game 1: UTSA 2, Louisiana Tech 1 (10 innings)
UTSA rallied for a pair of runs in the bottom of the 10th to claim a 2-1 victory against Louisiana Tech in the Conference USA opener for both squads.
Nicole Merrill threw all 10 innings and recorded 10 strikeouts for the Roadrunners. The freshman hurler allowed just three hits, none until the seventh inning, and one unearned run to improve to 4-4 on the season.
The UTSA offense managed five hits against Bianca Duran, who dropped to 3-9 on the campaign after permitting two unearned runs with four strikeouts. Kristen Miles led the Lady Techsters with a pair of hits at the plate.
With a runner on second and two outs, Madison Kinley helped keep Louisiana Tech off the board in the first inning with a diving stop and throw to first for the final out. It would be the Lady Techsters’ best scoring opportunity until the sixth, when Merrill walked the bases loaded.
Merrill escaped that jam with a strikeout and the Roadrunners threatened in the bottom of the panel. Back-to-back hits put runners on the corners with one out, but the game remained scoreless when right fielder Janine Godwin threw out pinch runner Alexis Ramirez trying to score on a sacrifice fly.
The Lady Techsters put two runners in scoring position in the seventh, but could not score, while the Roadrunners went down in order to send the game to extra innings.
The contest remained scoreless until the 10th, when Louisiana Tech got a run on a UTSA error.
Kinley opened the bottom of the frame with a walk and pinch runner Ashlee Garcia moved to scoring position on a perfectly placed bunt hit by Jade Smith. Looking to move the runners up, Courtney Buchman laid down a bunt and reached base on a throwing error, which allowed Garcia to touch home and tie the score.
Megan Low was intentionally walked before Siera Sproul looked to drive in the winning run with a sacrifice fly to right. However, Godwin again threw a perfect strike to the plate to tag out Smith, while the other two runners moved up to second and third.
While attempting to intentionally walk Jori Fox, Buchman came around to score the winning run on an illegal pitch as at least one defensive player was standing in foul territory when the pitch was thrown.
Game 2: UTSA 2, Louisiana Tech 1
Tess Soefje homered and Kacy Freeze went the distance in the circle as UTSA completed the doubleheader sweep of Louisiana Tech with another 2-1 victory.
Freeze improved to 5-5 on the season after surrendering five hits and a pair of walks with five strikeouts for the Roadrunners. Meanwhile, Pauline Tufi dropped just her second contest of the season for the Lady Techsters and fell to 5-2 after giving up two runs on three hits and three walks in six frames.
The Roadrunners opened the scoring in the bottom of the second on Soefje’s solo homer to left-center. The sophomore worked the count full against Tufi and sent the 10th pitch of the at-bat over the wall for her second round-tripper of the season.
That’s where the score stood until Louisiana Tech pushed across an unearned run in the top of the fifth. With two outs, Erin Kipp reached base on a fielding error and scored on Anna Cross’ double to right-center.
However, UTSA came up with the winning run in the bottom of the sixth with the aid of an error.
Siera Sproul reached second base to start the inning when left fielder Kristen Miles dropped a fly ball. Pinch runner Jolene Graham did not have to wait long to touch home as Jori Fox followed with a single to left for her 14th RBI of the season.
Freeze gave up a pair of singles in the top of the seventh, but got Cross to foul out to preserve the 2-1 victory.