RUSTON, La. – LA Tech scored three runs in the seventh, as UTSA suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 loss on a windy Sunday afternoon at the Lady Techsters Softball Complex.
The Roadrunners (16-22, 5-10 C-USA) fought and battled after a pair of tough losses on Saturday, as they took the lead with back-to-back RBI hits from freshmen Victoria Villarreal and Ashlynn Walls.But the windy conditions proved to be a factor, as LA Tech (27-17, 13-5) utilized five hits in the bottom of the seventh to claim the 3-2 victory.
Battling 25 miles-per-hour winds from the west, both teams went scoreless through the first four innings, combining for just four hits.
UTSA broke the silence with two runs on three hits in the top of the fifth inning. Sophomore Celste Loughman and junior Bailee Baldwin got the frame going with a pair of singles, before the Lady Techsters intentionally walked sophomore Rylee Rodriguez. With bases loaded Villarreal hammered out a sacrifice fly to left field to drive in Loughman. Keeping the momentum going, Walls smashed an RBI single through the right side to score Baldwin and give UTSA a 2-0 advantage.
With the Roadrunners leading 2-0 entering the bottom of the seventh inning, Tech rallied for three runs on five hits. LA Tech's Karlee Jensen started the rally with a line drive left field line for a double followed by an Ali Galaz walk. Marilyn Rizzato then laid down a sacrifice bunt to move the tying runs into scoring position with one out.
The home squad capitalized on the runners with a double from Bayli Simon, tying the game at 2-2.
With the game tied at 2-2 and Simon at second base, LA Tech loaded the bases once more and used a single from Morgan Turkoly to the left centerfield gap, scoring Simon with the winning run.
The Roadrunners finished the day with five hits, led by Baldwin's 2-for-4 day. LA Tech recorded eight hits by eight different batters on the day.
Madison Nelson (5-13) guided UTSA in the circle, going 6.1 frames with three earned runs. The freshman did a solid job as she got out of a bases loaded jam in the first inning before retiring the Lady Techsters in order for the next three innings.
The Roadrunners will be back in action on Tuesday, April 17, when they host Houston Baptist for a single game at Roadrunner Field. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.
