HOUSTON – The UTSA softball team dropped a pair of games Saturday afternoon to Texas Tech and Houston on the second day of the Houston Invitational.
Game one: Texas Tech
A seventh inning home run pushed Tech ahead of the Roadrunners in a 6-5 game.
Tech was on the board early in the first inning. UTSA loaded the bases at the bottom of the first frame and a sac fly to left field from Taylor Medina scored Kat Ibarra to tie the game 1-1. The Red Raiders answered with a run in the second. The Roadrunners took the lead (3-1) with two runs in the second as Ciarra Mata and Ibarra each scored on a wild pitch. Increasing their lead, UTSA recorded two more runs in the third. Medina crossed the plate on a passed ball. After advancing to third, Kindell Brooks was sent home on a wild pitch.
The Roadrunners went scoreless for the duration of the game as Tech scored in the fourth off a double. In the fifth, the Red Raiders closed the gap to one run (5-4) with an RBI. A solo home run and an RBI at the top of the seventh gave Tech the boost to clinch the game, 6-5.
The Roadrunners registered five hits against Tech, one from Ibarra, Camryn Robillard and Brooks and two from Riley Grunberg. Alexa Williams was in the circle for the Roadrunners pitching 5.2 innings. Tatum Seith pitched 1.1 innings against Tech.
Game two: Houston
A four-run sixth inning gave Houston a 9-5 advantage over the Roadrunners.
After a scoreless first two innings, the Roadrunners were the first on the board at the top of the third. A sacrifice fly from Medina sent Robillard to the plate. The Cougars answered in the bottom of the frame with three runs to lead 3-1.
UTSA responded with four runs of their own at the top of the fourth. A single to center field from Ibarra sent Erykah Guerrero home. With bases loaded, Robillard was walked to advance Emily Dear. Grunberg was sent to first on a walk, sending Mata to home plate. Medina stepped to the plate and flied out to center field to score Ibarra as the Roadrunners led 5-3.
Houston added a run to the board at the bottom of the fourth. In the sixth, the Cougars scored four runs to take the lead and close the game 9-5.
UTSA had five hits from Ibarra, Robillard, Grunberg, Guerrero and Mata. In the circle, Jamie Gilbert pitched 3.0 innings, Marena Estell threw 2.2 innings and Williams pitched 0.1 innings.
The Roadrunners will be back on the field in Huntsville to face South Dakota on Sunday at 10 a.m.
-UTSA-
