HUNTSVILLE — The UTSA offense piled up 18 runs off 29 hits, including five doubles and two home runs, en route to a doubleheader sweep at Sam Houston State on Wednesday night by scores of 4-1 and 14-6.
Celeste Loughman combined to go 5-for-8 at the plate with four runs scored and three stolen bases to help lead the Roadrunners (4-5), while Rylee Rodriguez added four hits, with a pair of doubles, and five RBIs. Randee Crawford and Taylor Oberg also collected four hits on the day as UTSA's 21 hits in game two were its most since a school-record 28 in 2004.
In addition, the team's 14 runs in game two were its most since a 17-2 victory against Lamar on Feb. 8, 2014.
Meanwhile, Lizzy Fox led the pitching staff with the best outing of her career as she allowed just one hit in game one and Nicole Merrill struck out four in seven frames of the nightcap.
Fox dominated the Bearkats (2-6) in the opener as she carried a no-hitter into the seventh. The junior retired the first eight hitters she faced before giving up a two-out walk in the third.
The UTSA offense provided run support for its starter in the top of the third.
Loughman singled and stole second and Bailee Baldwin walked to put two on with one out. Two batters later, Rodriguez unloaded on the first pitch of her at-bat and slugged her third homer of the spring for a 3-0 lead.
With the three-run cushion, Fox continued to roll as just two runners reached base in the fourth, fifth and sixth via a walk and an error.
UTSA then tacked on an insurance run in the top of the seventh with the help of two Sam Houston State errors.
Rodriguez reached on an error and was lifted for pinch-runner Madison Kinley. Kinley would be forced out at second base on a fielder's choice off the bat of Oberg, but a throwing error on the play allowed Oberg to move all the way to third. She would touch home a batter later when Hailey Garza ripped a single up the middle for a 4-0 lead.
Fox hit the first batter in the seventh and then lost the no-hit bid on Ashley Goetz's single left. An error on the play also broke up the shutout, but Fox retired the next three Sam Houston State batters to close the 4-1 victory and move her record to 2-3 on the season.
The Roadrunners wasted no time in jumping ahead with a pair of runs in the first inning of game two. Crawford's sacrifice fly got UTSA on the board before Loughman, who singled earlier in the inning, scored on a passed ball.
Another Loughman base hit and a stolen base helped lead to a UTSA run in the third when Crawford doubled the freshman home to extend the lead to 3-0.
The Bearkats answered that run with one of their own in the bottom of the inning, but the Roadrunners put the game out of reach with 11 runs over the final three frames.
Baldwin and Crawford each singled to open the fifth and Baldwin came around to score on Rodriguez's double to right field. Garza followed with a one-out double, the first extra-base hit of her career, to plate Crawford and then Garza touched home following Oberg's single.
An inning later, Baldwin followed Loughman's third hit of the contest with a two-run homer to right field. The blast was Baldwin's first of the season and fifth of her career. Oberg then lined her third hit of the game through the left side to push the advantage to 10-1.
In the seventh, the Roadrunners answered two Bearkats runs in the bottom of the sixth with a four-spot for a 14-3 lead. Rodriguez and Sanchez each doubled to plate runs and Garza capped the scoring with a sacrifice fly to center.
Sam Houston State scored three in the bottom of the frame, but Merrill closed out the 14-6 victory to even her record at 2-2 for the season.
UTSA will open its home schedule with five games this at the annual UTSA Classic. The Roadrunners begin play at 3 p.m. on Friday against New Mexico (4-6) before a 5:30 p.m. matchup with Incarnate Word (3-7).
