SAN ANTONIO — UTSA opened the second day of the UTSA Classic with a 13-1 run-rule victory in five innings against Incarnate Word before a slim 2-1 win against Southeastern Louisiana on Saturday at Roadrunner Field.
Eleven different players drove in at least one run on the day for the Roadrunners (10-4), who needed just 14 games to reach their 10th victory for the first time since 1998.
Kendall Burton went 3-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs to lead the offense, while Courtney Buchman and Megan Low also homered and drove in a pair of runs.
In the circle, Kacy Freeze (2-1) and Nicole Merrill (2-1) combined to allow just two runs and six hits in 12 innings of work. Freeze struck out a career-high 11 batters and did not allow a hit in her final four innings of work.
In the first game of the day, UTSA scored eight runs in the first inning against the Cardinals (1-11) and never looked back in the 13-1 run-rule victory.
Burton collected the first of her three hits to start the big inning with a single up the middle and she stole second before Buchman put UTSA up 2-0 with a homer to left. The blast was her fifth of the season and it was followed by a double from Low and a walk to Vivian Tijerina.
Randee Crawford, Tess Soefje and Madison Kinley extended the cushion to 5-0 with RBI singles before Burton clubbed a three-run homer in her second at-bat of the inning.
That was more than enough run-support for Merrill, who worked out of a jam in the second after she allowed one run without a hit and the sophomore would not allow a hit until the top of the fifth.
The UTSA offense put the game out of reach in the bottom of the third with five more runs, all of which came with two outs.
Incarnate Word pitcher Brooke DuBois retired the first two batters of the frame, but Kinley got the inning going with a triple to right field and she scored on Jade Smith’s infield hit for a 9-1 lead.
Burton followed with her third hit and Erica Sanchez walked to load the bases. The Roadrunners would score four more runs in the frame, all without putting the ball in play.
Angelica Niño, Alyssa Cummings and Amanda Thomas all drove in runs with walks, while Tijerina forced in a run when she was hit by a pitch. When the dust had settled, the Roadrunners led 13-1 and Merrill closed out the contest to improve to 2-1 this season.
In the second game, the Lady Lions (4-6) put UTSA in an early hole with a run in the top of the first on Amber Sather’s run-scoring single, but it would prove to be the only score off Freeze in the contest.
Southeastern Louisiana starter Taylor Bishop held the Roadrunners without a hit until Smith opened the bottom of the third with a bunt single. A sacrifice and a strikeout had Smith on second with two outs when Low crushed a 1-0 pitch over the wall in right-center field for a 2-1 advantage.
Freeze made sure the lead lasted as she did not allow a hit and struck out six after the Roadrunners gained the upper hand. The junior sat down the final 10 batters that she faced and sealed the 2-1 win by striking out the side in the seventh.
The Roadrunners will tournament play on Sunday when they face Southeastern Louisiana at 10 a.m. before a 12:30 p.m. matchup with Incarnate Word.