SAN ANTONIO — Zoe Bacon’s pinch-hit three-run homer with two outs in the seventh pushed the game to extra innings, but Carlie Jenkins’ two-run shot in the eighth lifted visiting Middle Tennessee to a 7-5 victory over UTSA on Saturday afternoon at Roadrunner Field.
Bacon’s homer was her second pinch-hit blast of the season for the Roadrunners (12-20, 6-3 C-USA), who dropped their first Conference USA series of the campaign. Kendall Burton and Randee Crawford each went 2-for-4, with Crawford driving in UTSA’s other two runs on a double in the fifth.
Meanwhile, Jenkins’ homer capped a 3-for-4 day with three RBIs to lead the Blue Raiders (17-16, 4-5 C-USA).
After pitchers Lizzy Fox and Kelci Cheney each tossed four scoreless innings to start the day, Middle Tennessee broke through for the first runs of the afternoon with a pair in the top of the fifth.
Austyn Whaley hit a solo homer to left and Precious Birdsong drove in a run with a double down the left field line to give the visitors a 2-0 lead. That cushion did not last though, as Crawford cracked a double to left in the bottom half of the frame that plated Jade Smith and Burton.
However, the Blue Raiders scored three runs in the top of the sixth to grab a 5-2 advantage.
UTSA stayed alive in the bottom of the seventh on an infield hit from Smith before Crawford reached on a fielding error with two outs. The miscue would prove costly for the Blue Raiders, as Bacon stepped to the plate and crushed a 3-1 pitch over the wall in center field to knot the score, 5-5.
Chelsea Thomas singled up the middle and moved to second on an error to put the winning run in scoring position, but reliever Megan Chocallo got the final out to end the threat and send the game to extra innings.
A leadoff walk in the eighth preceded Jenkins’ second homer of the season, which lifted the visitors to a 7-5 lead and proved to be the game-winner. Taylor Oberg dropped a two-out double to right for the Roadrunners in the bottom of the frame, but Birdsong made a diving catch in center field to rob Smith of a hit and end the game.
Chocallo improved to 3-4 with the win after she allowed one hit in 1.1 innings of relief, while Nicole Merrill took the loss and dropped to 2-2.
UTSA will be back in action on Wednesday, March 30 when it travels across town for a 5 p.m. matchup at Incarnate Word (11-20).