SAN ANTONIO — Randee Crawford hit two two-run home runs and UTSA slugged six extra-base hits to finish off a three-game sweep of UTEP with an 8-0 run-rule victory on Sunday afternoon at Roadrunner Field.
Megan Low went 2-for-2 with a two-run homer of her own and a double, while Nicole Merrill tossed her first shutout of the campaign for the Roadrunners (30-14, 12-5 C-USA), who reached 30 wins in a season for the first time since 2006 and took over sole possession of first place in Conference USA’s West Division. Kendall Burton also notched a pair of hits and Vivian Tijerina plated a run with a double.
The Miners (13-32, 8-10 C-USA) put a pair of runners on base with one out in the top of the first, but Merrill induced two grounders to get out of the jam. That would be the best scoring opportunity of the day for the visitors, as Merrill scattered three hits in the final four innings.
The contest remained scoreless until the bottom of the third, when UTSA put four runs on the board.
Burton opened the frame with a double to right-center field and she came around to score on a pair of wild pitches for a 1-0 lead. Low and Tijerina then connected on back-to-back doubles to extend the lead and Crawford capped the inning with her first homer of the day.
After Merrill sat down the Miners in order in the top of the fourth, the Roadrunners put the game away with another four-run panel.
Courtney Buchman reached base with a one-out walk before Low extended the lead to 6-0 with a two-run homer to center field. The blast, which was her 15th of the season, sailed over the net and off the Alvarez Hall dormitory.
The senior held the team and conference-lead in homers by herself for just two batters, as Crawford followed a walk to Tijerina with her second two-run shot of the contest, which also was her 15th round-tripper of the spring.
The eight-run cushion was more than enough for Merrill, who retired the side in the fifth to close out the run-rule victory. The sophomore allowed just four hits and a walk to go along with three strikeouts in five innings of work to improve to 9-6.
UTSA will be back in action on Wednesday, April 22, for a 3 p.m. contest at Houston Baptist (10-27).