SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA softball team (18-24, 6-12 C-USA) is set to tango with I-35 rival Texas State and crosstown foe Incarnate Word in its final two nonconference games of the 2018 season. The Roadrunners are set to visit the Bobcats on Tuesday for a 6:30 p.m. contest at Bobcats Softball Stadium before welcoming UIW for a 6 p.m. matchup on Wednesday at Roadrunner Field.
UTSA has announced Wednesday's contest as its Military Appreciation Game with all active and retired military receiving free entry to the game.
In UTSA's last outing, the Roadrunners faced Southern Miss in a three-game set. The Golden Eagles edged the Roadrunners 5-0 in game one and 10-5 in game two, but UTSA claimed the opening contest, 6-4.
Entering this week, the Roadrunners are hitting .238 as a team. Junior Bailee Baldwin leads the way with a .357 batting average, 45 hits, 39 RBI, 35 runs and league-best 16 home runs. Sophomore Celeste Loughman and freshman Ashlynn Walls follow with .310 and .309 averages, respectively, while Loughman has recorded a team-best 13 stolen bases.
The UTSA pitching staff owns a 3.20 ERA and is limiting opponents to a .238 batting average.
After having a nine-game winning streak snapped by the hands of No. 21 Louisiana-Lafayette, Texas State (35-10, 15-2 SBC) is back to its winning ways with four consecutive wins this past week. The Bobcats last defeated UIW, 5-2, before sweeping the University of Louisiana- Monroe in Southland Conference action.
On the season, Hailey MacKray tops the Bobcat squad and is fourth in the Sun Belt with a .380 batting average. She is 49-for-129 with 23 runs, seven doubles, and team bests of 10 home runs and 35 RBI. Ariel Ortiz follows with 32 RBI and has eight stolen bases, five shy of leader Christiana McDowell's 13.
In the circle, Randi Rupp leads the conference in ERA (1.23), wins (22), games played (35), complete games (28), shutouts (eight solo and two combined), and strikeouts (268). As a team, the Bobcats are fourth in the SBC in batting average (.285) and lead the league in ERA (1.79).
UIW has dropped seven-consecutive games since last playing UTSA earlier this month. The Cardinals dropped two Southland series this month, falling to Abilene Christian and Stephen F. Austin.
Owning a 12-28 overall record, the Cardinals are guided by a .273 batting average and 10 runs from Marcela Lopez and 28 hits and 16 RBI from Hope Sobolewski.
UIW's four-member pitching staff is directed by Brenna Hernandez (4-12), who owns a 4.52 ERA with 41 strikeouts in 18 games.
