SAN ANTONIO — UTSA scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to close the gap, but Texas A&M-Corpus Christi plated six runs in the fifth to grab an 8-3 lead and hold on for the 8-6 win on Tuesday evening at Roadrunner Field.
Stephanie Money finished with season highs of three hits and a pair of RBIs to lead the Roadrunners (18-28), who closed the non-conference portion of their schedule, while Chelsea Thomas came off the bench to record three hits in as many at-bats. Bailee Baldwin homered and nearly drove in the tying runs in the seventh to aid the offense. In the circle, Lizzy Fox and Zoe Bacon each tossed a pair of scoreless frames.
After throwing two perfect innings to start the game, Fox was lifted for reliever Chelsea Parker and the Islanders (15-27) jumped ahead with an unearned run in the third.
UTSA put the leadoff batter on base in each of the first three innings, but came away empty handed each time against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi starter Liz Carter.
The visitors doubled their lead to 2-0 in the fourth when Carter hit a solo homer to center field. However, the Roadrunners took the lead with three runs of their own in the bottom of the panel.
Baldwin put UTSA on the board with a solo homer to right-center field to start the rally. The blast was her third of the spring and it cut the deficit in half, 2-1. Tess Soefje then singled and was lifted for pinch-runner Erica Sanchez, who advanced to third base with a sacrifice bunt that was followed by Thomas' first hit of the evening.
With runners on the corners, Money knotted the score with a single to left-center field that plated Sanchez. Following a walk and a fielder's choice, UTSA took the lead when Bacon coaxed a bases-loaded walk for a 3-2 advantage.
However, the lead would not last as the Islanders scored six runs, three of which were unearned, in the top of the fifth to reclaim an 8-3 advantage.
Islanders reliever Colleen Bentke threw a scoreless fifth and sixth inning before the Roadrunners mounted a rally in the bottom of the seventh.
Down to its final three outs, UTSA quickly loaded the bases with a walk to Soefje, a single by Kaley Pyles and Thomas' third hit of the night. Money cut the deficit to 8-4 with a single through the right side and Angelica Niño plated another run on a fielder's choice.
With two outs, Crawford reached on an error, which also scored another run for an 8-6 score and put the tying run in scoring position. That brought Baldwin to the plate and the freshman smashed the second pitch of her at-bat right back up the middle, but Bentke reached up and snagged the liner to end the contest.
Carter earned the win after she allowed three runs on six hits through four innings to improve to 9-11, while Bentke picked up her third save of the spring.
UTSA will return to Conference USA action for the final six games of the regular season, beginning with a three-game set at UAB (22-25, 12-6 C-USA) this weekend.
