HUNTSVILLE, Texas — The UTSA Roadrunners (0-5) suffered a pair of close losses on Saturday during the final day of Sam Houston's Bearkat Classic. Both contests were decided in the closing innings as Delaware (4-0) broke a 2-2 tie to top UTSA, 4-2, and South Dakota State (1-1) fended off a late Roadrunner threat in the seventh to win, 3-2.
Game One: Delaware
Meeting the Blue Hens for the second time in two days, UTSA bounced back to knot the score in the middle inning, but a timely score in the sixth gave Delaware breathing room to capture the win.
Starter Jamie Gilbert opened up with two fully clean frames against the Blue Hens, but a leadoff walk opened the door for the game's first score in the third. An outfield error – UTSA's first of the season – provided time for Chloe Blantz to reach home and put the Blue Hens ahead. Delaware extended its lead to two runs in the fourth off a Blantz RBI double.
Kept quiet for too long, the Roadrunners responded in the home half. Lilly Hood coaxed out a leadoff walk and worked around to third, scoring on a wild pitch to put UTSA on the board. Ciarra Mata fired the first UTSA hit up the middle for an RBI single that knotted the score at 2-all.
UTSA's defense shut down Delaware in the fifth, but a pair of walks came back to bite the Roadrunners in the sixth, as Morgan Olynyk logged a two-run double down the left line to push the Blue Hens ahead 4-2 for good.
The Roadrunners were limited at the plate, recording two hits. Meanwhile, UTSA worked out seven walks, but left eight runners aboard to UD's four. Taylor Wroten (1-0) earned the win for Delaware, tossing four innings with one hit, five walks and five strikeouts. Emily Winburn (1) picked up the save across the final three innings. For UTSA, Kenzi Schultz (0-1) threw 2.1 innings for the loss.
Game Two: South Dakota State
South Dakota State jumped out to an early lead, but the Roadrunners stood their ground and brought the threat to the Jackrabbits down the stretch, trimming the deficit to a single run in the sixth. SDSU was able to halt the final push with the tying run on third for UTSA.
The all-around 2022 Summit League Champions, South Dakota State scored three runs in the first four innings to claim an early advantage over the Roadrunners.
Despite the empty scoring line, the Roadrunners registered a baserunner in each of the first five innings and finally capitalized in the bottom of the sixth. After Hood and Madison Lenton each singled to open the frame, Mata changed the game's tone by smacking a two-out, two-run single into right center and slicing SDSU's advantage to 3-2.
The Roadrunners created the conditions to complete the rally in the bottom of the seventh after shutting down the Jacks in the top half. Kylie Forney reached on an error with one out and Hood garnered a walk to push the tying run into scoring position. However, back-to-back fielder's choice plays secured the final two outs SDSU needed to send the game final.
Shannon Lasey (1-0) claimed the win for SDSU, carrying the Jackrabbits 4.0 innings with three hits and no runs, handing off to Grace Glanzer (1) for the 3.0-inning save. On the UTSA side, Reagan Smith (0-2) settled into a inaugural start after early Jackrabbit runs, throwing a 7.0-inning complete game with five hits and two earned runs in the loss.
Six Roadrunners collected hits, highlighted by Mata's two-RBI finish on 1-for-3 batting.
Next up, the Roadrunners open up at home as hosts to the I-35 Tournament presented by Courtyard Marriott at The Rim. Next taking the field against. Abilene Christian on Friday, Feb. 17 at 2:30 p.m., UTSA will also square off with Lamar, New Mexico State and Texas A&M - Corpus Christi, Feb. 17-19 at Roadrunner Field.
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