WACO — Nicole Merrill allowed just three hits and retired 17 consecutive batters at one point to lead UTSA to a 6-0 victory against Lamar on Friday afternoon in game three of this weekend's Getterman Classic.
Merrill scattered three singles over seven innings for the fifth shutout of her career, as the Roadrunners (2-3) bounced back from last night's defeat at No. 23 Baylor. The senior retired 17 consecutive batters after the Cardinals (2-5) opened the bottom of the first with back-to-back singles.
Bailee Baldwin tied a career high with three hits, which included a double, to go along with an RBI to lead the offense. Angelica Niño, Taylor Oberg and Rylee Rodriguez each finished with a pair of hits, while Lindsey Stewart also collected two hits and drove in two runs.
The Roadrunners scored in each of the first three innings to jump out to a 5-0 lead and the Cardinals would never recover.
UTSA wasted no time in grabbing the lead in the top of the first. Stewart started the contest with a single and she raced home on Celeste Loughman's first triple of the season for a 1-0 lead. Baldwin followed with her RBI double to left-center to easily plate Loughman and push the cushion to 2-0.
Oberg led off the second with a single and she would score on a fielder's choice off the bat of Stewart.
An inning later, UTSA again turned a lead-off hit into a run. Baldwin singled down the right-field line and she came around to score on Rodriguez's double to left. Rodriguez would touch home three batters later thanks to a Lamar error for the 5-0 lead.
That proved to be plenty of run support for Merrill. Lamar broke the string in the sixth with a single, but no Cardinal advanced past second base the entire afternoon.
The Roadrunners pushed one more run across in the top of the sixth, when Niño started the frame with a triple to right field. Stewart then singled through the right side to collect her second hit and RBI of the game to extend the lead to 6-0.
Merrill retired the side in order in the seventh to pick up her first win of the season and her first shutout since a whitewashing of Sam Houston State on April 13, 2016.
UTSA will continue tournament play at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday when it will face Grand Canyon (6-0).
