SAN ANTONIO — Lindsey Stewart had a combined five base hits and Lizzy Fox tossed a complete-game shutout to help lead the UTSA softball team to a Conference USA doubleheader split with Louisiana Tech on Saturday afternoon at Roadrunner Field.
In the opener, the Lady Techsters (30-17, 13-4 C-USA) plated six runs in the sixth inning and rallied for an 8-5 victory.
The Roadrunners (18-28, 8-12 C-USA) scored two runs in the first and rode the right arm of Fox to a 3-0 shutout in the nightcap.
Stewart led off the bottom of the first in game two with a double to left field and moved to third on a bunt single by Angelica Nino. Nino stole second and after an infield single by Bailee Baldwin loaded the bases, Kaley Pyles lined a base hit just inside the bag at third base to push across the first run. Hailee Garza then lifted a sacrifice fly to deep right field that easily scored Nino from third.
That would be all the run support Fox needed, as the junior from Sugar Land struck out two and scattered four hits in her third shutout of the season to run her record to 12-15.
LA Tech did load the bases to threaten in the top of the fifth, but Pyles made a backhand grab on a ground ball off the bat of Taria Page and threw her out at first to get out of the jam.
UTSA tacked on an insurance run in the home half of the frame when Kylea Nix drilled an RBI-single up the middle to plate Pyles, who doubled down the left-field line to start the inning.
Stewart went 3-for-4 with a run scored in the second game, while Nino and Pyles had a pair of base hits each.
The Roadrunners handed LA Tech left-hander Krystal De La Cruz her first loss of the season. She gave up three runs on nine hits in 4.1 innings to fall to 9-1.
Stewart and Erica Sanchez had two hits apiece to lead the UTSA offense in the lid-lifter, but LA Tech scored eight runs on nine hits, led by three from Jazlyn Crowder, in the 8-5 win.
The Roadrunners got on the board first, as Stewart led off the bottom of the opening panel with a double to left and later scored from third on an errant throw by the catcher on a stolen base by Celeste Loughman, who reached on a base hit up the middle.
LA Tech answered with a pair of runs in the top of the second on a bases-loaded double to the corner in left field by Crowder.
UTSA knotted the score in the bottom half when Taylor singled through the left side of the infield and later scored from third on a fielder's choice off the bat of Nino.
After a pair of scoreless frames, the Roadrunners grabbed a 5-2 advantage with a three-run fifth. Sanchez reached on an infield single and moved to second on a sac bunt by Nino. Stewart then singled to left to put runners at the corners with one out. Stewart swiped second and Loughman drew a walk to load the bases. After a strikeout, Pyles lined a single to right to push home two runs. Loughman then stole home on a double steal to increase the cushion to three runs.
LA Tech responded with its six-run sixth that included five hits and a pair of squeeze bunts to take the lead for good. Crowder had an RBI-double to left center that knotted the score at 5-5 and Ali Galaz had a bunt single on a squeeze play that scored Karlee Jensen from third and put the visitors ahead for good.
Preslee Gallaway (13-11) picked up the win after punching out six and allowing five runs (four earned) in 5.2 frames. Jenny Chapman tossed 1.1 scoreless innings in relief to earn her third save of the year.
The series finale is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday and UTSA will honor its eight seniors in a ceremony immediately following the game.
