SAN ANTONIO – Fueled by a pair of home runs from junior Bailee Baldwin, the UTSA softball team opened its 2018 season with 6-4 victory over Southern Illinois on Friday night at Roadrunner Field. The contest marked the first of four games for the Roadrunners this weekend in the UTSA Classic.
The Roadrunners were led offensively by Baldwin with two home runs in two at-bats. Sophomore Celeste Loughman went 2 for 4 with a run and stolen base, while freshman Ashlynn Walls recorded a pair of hits. Senior Lizzy Fox started in the circle and picked up the win, while the Nelson pitched one-third of an inning for her first career save.
UTSA took a 2-1 lead after three innings and then ballooned its advantage to four with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth and fifth frames. Southern Illinois answered with two runs run in the top of the seventh, but the Roadrunners kept the Salukis from capitalizing.
Turning Points
The Roadrunners took the lead early with back-to-back home runs from Baldwin through the first two innings. UTSA cushioned its lead with two runs in the fourth and two runs in the fifth. In the fourth, senior Erica Sanchez walked to first and was brought home on a triple from Loughman. Quick on her feet, Loughman stole home for UTSA's fourth run of the game. Maintaining momentum for the Roadrunners in the fifth inning were junior Hailey Garza and sophomore Kylea Nix, who tied together back-to-back singles. With freshman Brycen Blinco pinch running for Nix, the two infielders scored two runs on a SIU fielding error. The Salukis put up two more runs in the seventh but would not find the equalizer.
Inside The Numbers
- The Roadrunners and the Salukis both hammered out eight hits apiece.
- Five different Roadrunners scored a run.
- Fox collected two strikeouts against no walks.
- The Roadrunners held a 21-18 edge in putouts and a 7-6 advantage in assists.
News and Notes
The win marked the first time UTSA opened the season with a victory since 2015, when the Roadrunners defeated Montana, 12-4, at the Hotel Encanto Invitational.
What's Ahead
The Roadrunners are back in action for day two of the UTSA Softball Classic on Saturday, facing Abilene Christian at 4:30 p.m. before battling Seton Hall at 7 p.m.
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