ORLANDO – UTSA softball concluded its Florida tour with a 2-0 win over UCF but fell 12-4 against Georgia Southern on Wednesday at the UCF Softball Complex in Orlando, Fla.
The Roadrunners (13-11) were paced by juniors Hailey Garza and Bailee Baldwin and sophomore Rylee Rodriguez. Garza and Baldwin each posted .333 batting averages with two hits, while Rodriguez guided UTSA with two RBI.
Game 1: UTSA 2, UCF 0 (.PDF)
With two on base and two out in the top of the first inning, Rodriguez put UTSA in the run column with a double to left center. The third baseman plated Baldwin, who reached on a walk.
Garza added a second run with a single through the right side to score freshman Victoria Villarreal and give UTSA a 2-0 lead.
The Knights (17-10) put three on base in the bottom of the fourth courtesy of a pair of singles and walk, but sophomore Celeste Loughman secured her 42nd putout of season to retire the inning and end the UCF threat.
UCF would add two more hits across the last three innings, but senior Lizzy Fox kept the door closed for the home squad to earn her third shutout of the season and clinch the 2-0 victory for the Roadrunners.
Game 2: Georgia Southern 12, UTSA 4
The Eagles (16-0) took an early 5-0 advantage after three innings before UTSA and Georgia Southern combined for 10 runs in the fifth frame.
With UTSA trailing 5-0, freshman Ashlynn Walls opened the top of the fifth with a single through the left side. Junior Candice Hadd followed with a walk while sophomore Kylea Nix loaded the bases with a single through the left side. The fifth batter up in the frame was freshman Hannah Boring, who hammered out a single to center field to score Walls from third.
Keeping the bases loaded the Roadrunners claimed two more runs off a walk and a fielder's choice. Rodriguez topped off the stanza with a single to left field to score Boring and cut GSU's lead to 1 at 5-4.
GSU battled back in the bottom of the fifth with six runs on three hits including a grand slam from Logan Harrell.
Leading 11-7, the Eagles tacked on one more run in the bottom of the sixth to seal a 12-4 run-rule victory.
Starting hurler Madison Nelson got into trouble the first three innings, allowing five runs on seven hits. Fellow freshman Michelle Iparraguirre pitched the fourth frame before Fox came in to pitch for the final inning, allowing five runs on four hits.
Up Next
UTSA returns to Roadrunner Field for its second Conference USA series of the season as the Roadrunners host North Texas, March 17- March 18. Saturday's doubleheader will serve as the team's Strike Out Cancer Day in memory of former roadrunner Hope Ortiz.
