CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Charlotte took the series opener, 7-1, but UTSA rallied for runs in the seventh and ninth to take game two, 2-1, to earn a doubleheader split on Saturday afternoon at the D.L. Phillips Softball Complex.
Lizzy Fox pitched a career-high nine innings and allowed just four hits and a run to lead the Roadrunners (10-17, 4-1 C-USA) in the second game. The sophomore retired the final 13 batters of the contest and notched three strikeouts in the winning effort.
Meanwhile, Jade Smith and Tess Soefje each recorded a pair of hits on the day, including a double from Soefje, to help pace the offense.
Haley Wiseman led the 49ers (17-9, 1-4 C-USA) with six scoreless innings in game two, and Emma Ocker’s third-inning sacrifice fly was the difference in a 1-0 game heading to the top of the seventh.
Down to its final three outs, UTSA used patience at the plate and timely hitting to knot the score at one.
Taylor Oberg, Soefje and Zoe Bacon all walked to help load the bases with two outs. Smith then stepped to the plate and lined a 1-2 pitch from Wiseman into center field that brought home the tying run.
Fox took care of the 49ers in the bottom of the seventh, part of her string of 13 consecutive outs to close the game, to send the contest to extra innings.
Neither team could get on the board in the eighth, but the Roadrunners broke through for the winning run in the top of the ninth.
Soefje started the rally with a one-out single up the middle and the senior moved to scoring position after Erica Sanchez laced a hit to right-center field. Smith then walked on four straight pitches to load the bases for Burton. The sophomore fell behind in the count, 0-2, but eventually drove in the winning run with a walk on the ninth pitch of the plate appearance.
Now with a 2-1 advantage, Fox made quick work of the 49ers in the bottom of the inning as she required just eight pitches to retire the side in order and hand Charlotte its first home loss of the season.
In the opener, UTSA committed five errors and allowed five unearned runs as Charlotte took a 7-1 victory behind a solid outing in the circle from Lexi Betancourt.
Taylar Byrne opened the scoring with a two-run single in the second that produced the only two earned runs of the contest for Charlotte. The 49ers added unearned runs in the third, fifth and sixth to stretch the lead.
The Roadrunners used a Charlotte error in the top of the fifth to break through and spoil the shutout. Chelsea Thomas lifted a bases-loaded sacrifice fly to deep center field that cut the deficit to 4-1 before the 49ers plated three runs in the sixth and put the game out of reach.
UTSA left six runners on base against Betancourt, who got a deep fly out with the bases loaded to end a Roadrunners threat in the fourth.
The Roadrunners will look to take the series when the teams meet for the rubber game at 11 a.m. (CT) on Sunday. The contest can be seen on FOX Sports Networks with Dave Barnett (play-by-play) and Tracy Warren (analysis) calling the action.