SAN ANTONIO — Charlotte scored three runs with two outs in the top of the seventh to rally for a 5-3 victory at UTSA on Sunday in Conference USA action at Roadrunner Field.
Jori Fox went 3-for-4, including a three-run home run for the Roadrunners, who fell to 18-21 overall and 6-6 in C-USA play. Nicole Merrill yielded one earned run on just two hits with three strikeouts in five innings before she settled for a no-decision.
Meanwhile, Jessica Plemmons went 2-for-4 with an RBI and Jackie Kleinsmith had a hit that drove in a pair to back another strong outing in the circle from Lexi Betancourt (14-8). The righty picked up her second win of the weekend after allowing three runs on seven hits with three walks and three punchouts for the 49ers (15-16, 6-8 C-USA).
UTSA produced a hit in each of the first three innings against Betancourt, but it stranded five runners in that stretch.
Meanwhile, Merrill breezed through the early frames and retired the first nine batters that she faced before a leadoff walk in the fourth.
That walk to Natalie Capone, along with a two-out error, allowed Charlotte to grab a 1-0 lead.
The visitors doubled the advantage to 2-0 an inning later, when Chelsea Ingersoll hit her first home run of the season. The blast also was the first hit allowed by Merrill.
However, the Roadrunners struck back in the bottom of the fifth and grabbed the lead on Fox’s three-run shot to left. Megan Low singled up the middle with one out and Courtney Buchman fouled off five pitches before drawing a walk on the 10th toss of her plate appearance.
That set the stage for Fox, who took the first pitch that she saw over the wall in left for the 3-2 lead.
Kacy Freeze came in to relieve Merrill in the sixth and loaded the bases with one out before getting a pair of strikeouts to end the threat.
However, the lefty ran into trouble again in the seventh and this time the 49ers would capitalize to take the lead for good.
With two outs, Plemmons snuck a hit down the first base line that plated Betancourt to tie the game and Kleinsmith followed with a slicing double to right center that scored two more for the 5-3 advantage.
Jolene Graham beat out an infield hit in the bottom of the inning to put the tying run at the plate, but Betancourt got a pair of grounders to end the game.
Freeze took the loss for the Roadrunners and fell to 10-9 on the season with three runs on four hits with a walk and two strikeouts.
UTSA will be back in action at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, April 9, when they host I-35 rival Texas State (21-20).