SAN ANTONIO — Juniors Candice Hadd and Bailee Baldwin delivered home runs while senior Lizzy Fox tossed a complete-game shutout to help the UTSA softball team to a Conference USA split with UAB on Saturday afternoon at Mary Bowers Field.
The Roadrunners (19-26, 7-13 C-USA) plated three runs and rode the right arm of Fox for a 3-0 shutout in the opener, while the Blazers scored one run to claim a 1-0 victory in the nightcap.
The two programs will contest their series finale on Sunday with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m.
Game One: UTSA 3, UAB 0
In the doubleheader opener UTSA saw hits from seven Roadrunners. Juniors Hadd and Baldwin highlighted UTSA's hits with one home run apiece, while Fox (12-10) was terrific in the circle for the Roadrunners, scattering two hits with two walks and one strikeout over a complete-game effort.
After scoreless opening frame, it was UTSA's offense that struck first on the scoreboard in the top of the second. The Roadrunners loaded the bases with a pair of walks and a single from junior Hailey Garza. As the sixth batter up in the frame, sophomore Celeste Loughman blasted a single to right field to drive in sophomore Kylea Nix from third for a 1-0 lead.
Limiting the Blazers at the plate, the Roadrunners recorded an insurance run in the sixth as Hadd belted her first home run of the season over the left center fence.
With UTSA leading 2-0, Baldwin dished out her 18th long ball of the season beyond the center field fence in the top of the seventh. Hitting her 18th long ball of the season, Baldwin is now tied with former Roadrunner Jessica Rogers and head coach Michelle Cheatham for the seventh most home runs in a single season in UTSA program history. She is five round-trippers away from tying Rogers, who also holds the top single-season record with her 23 home runs in 2005.
Leading 3-0 in the bottom of the seventh, UTSA retired the Blazers in order to finish off the shutout win.
Game Two: UAB 1, UTSA 0
The Roadrunners put up a hard fight against second-place UAB in the second game, allowing just one Blazer run. Overall, UAB tallied five hits in the game, while UAB's Claire Blount limited UTSA to just three hits and zero runs.
Freshman Madison Nelson leadoff for the Roadrunners in the circle, pitching four complete innings, while Fox closed out the game with two innings in relief. Nelson (5-16) collected a game-high two strikeouts, but was charged with the loss after relinquishing the only run of the game.
Blount (6-12) pitched a full game for the Blazers and kept the Roadrunner bats at bay as she yielded three hits, one walk and zero runs.
After three scoreless innings, UAB plated the only run of the game in the bottom of fourth on a solo home run from Analyse Petree.
With UAB leading 1-0, UTSA battled back with a pair of hits from Nix and hit from Garza, but was not able to find the equalizer.
