SAN ANTONIO – Kaley Pyles went 2-for-3 with a home run and three RBIs to help lead UTSA past cross-town foe Incarnate Word, 6-3, on Wednesday evening at Roadrunner Field.
Chelsea Parker retired the first 16 batters of the game and notched a career-high six strikeouts for the Roadrunners (18-27), as the junior lefty picked up her sixth win of the campaign. Alyssa Cummings drove in a pair of runs with a pinch-hit single and Angelica Niño plated a run with a double to help pace the offense.
After a spotless first inning for both pitchers, Pyles put UTSA on the board with her two-run homer as part of a three-run second inning.
Bailee Baldwin started the frame with a single to right-center before Pyles unloaded on a pitch that banged off the scoreboard for her fifth round-tripper of the spring. With two outs, the Roadrunners extended the lead to 3-0 when Stephanie Money and Niño hit back-to-back doubles.
An inning later it was Pyles again who plated a run with an RBI single to center field after Randee Crawford and Tess Soefje reached base via a walk and hit-by-pitch, respectively.
The advantage grew once more with two runs in the bottom of the fifth on Cummings' pinch-hit single. Kendall Burton started the inning with a perfect bunt single and Taylor Oberg grounded a single up the middle. Burton raced to third and the throw allowed Oberg to move up to scoring position before the pair touched home on Cummings' hit for a 6-0 cushion.
Parker faced the minimum through 5.1 frames, but Katie Helm ended thoughts of a perfect game with one out in the sixth when she put the Cardinals (14-27) on the board with a solo homer to left field.
Incarnate Word made a charge with two more runs in the top of the seventh and the visitors brought the tying run to the plate, but Parker locked down the 6-3 victory with a grounder to end the contest.
Sarah Leal took the loss for Incarnate Word with all six runs on eight hits with a walk and a strikeout.
UTSA will an enjoy a weekend off from Conference USA play before returning to action on Tuesday, April 26, when it will host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 5 p.m.
