SAN ANTONIO — The UTSA Roadrunners (2-5) gutted out some serious offense and dug deep to come away from their first day hosting the I-35 Tournament presented by Courtyard Mariott at The Rim with a pair of hard-fought victories. UTSA delivered back-to-back double-digit scoring performances for the first time since 2015 to run-rule one opponent and come back from a five-run deficit and run-rule the next, as the Roadrunners triumphed over Abilene Christian (2-5) and Lamar (2-7).
Game One: Abilene Christian
Despite the final outcome, it was the Wildcats that jumped on top first, with Sammie Shelander smacking an RBI double to the left field fence in the top of the first. Abilene Christian went on to triple their advantage with another Shelander RBI single and a Shaylee Alani sacrifice fly in the third.
That's where the UTSA offense put its collective foot down and took control of the contest, reeling off eight runs in the home half of the third. Freshman right fielder Lilly Hood sparked the Roadrunners with a leadoff shoestring line drive for a double, crossing the plate just four pitches later on Marena Estell's RBI double to left field. The Roadrunners worked the bases full and Madison Lenton brought in another run on an RBI walk. With the bases loaded, Sophie Campbell lined a shot just inside third base for a two-run double. Rounding out the frame, Kat Ibarra, Estell and Kylie Forney each coaxed out an RBI walk, while Hood tacked on another run with an RBI fielder's choice.
Back on the attack in the fourth, Ibarra capitalized on a pair of free passes, gapping an RBI double to left center and Hood added an RBI single four pitches later. Closing out a four-run inning, Taylor Jensen singled to left field to bring Hood across the dish.
It looked like the Wildcats might be on the ropes, but ACU strung together a pair of runs in the fifth and another in the sixth to delay the game from an early ending.
However, the Roadrunners slammed the door in the bottom of the sixth, adding a Jensen sac fly and the exclamation point – with Forney smashing her first career home run into the trees beyond right field for two scores and the run-rule 15-6 finish.
Seven different Roadrunners registered a hit against the Wildcats, paced by Ibarra's 3-for-4 with two RBI and three runs, just ahead of Hood's 3-for-5 with two RBI and three runs. Forney notched three RBI on the outing.
The 11 walks drawn against ACU ties for the fourth-most in program history.
Making her first pitching appearance of the season, Estell (1-0) went 4.0 innings with four hits and three earned runs allowed, striking out two. For ACU, Riley White (0-2) took the loss on 2.0 innings pitched, giving up the go-ahead run in the third.
Game Two: Lamar
With both teams riding high from earning their first win, both over Abilene Christian, the scoring was steady and neither could maintain the upper hand for long. LU finally struck what looked like a death blow in the sixth, but UTSA showed the fortitude to overcome the deficit with six runs in the final frame.
Three Cardinal runs in the top of the first created a minor advantage for Lamar, as the Roadrunners, responded with a pair in the home half thanks to a Forney RBI groundout and hard-lined RBI single for Lenton over third base.
A Sam Bean triple with two outs in the second set the table for Kalyn Xayaseng's RBI single to create somee some breathing room. However, the Roadrunners fired right back with an Ibarra RBI single to left center that narrowed the deficit back to a single run.
Evening the game for the first time, Jensen absolutely crushed her first UTSA home run, sending the ball beyond the left field hitting complex for the 4-4 tie.
The enjoyment was short-lived, as a pickoff error allowed Bean to score and Kaylee Ancelot added a second run on an RBI single to rebuild the Lamar lead. Hood's subsequent double to left center brought it back to a single run.
After the Cardinals added one more in the top of the fifth, Ciarra Mata smoked a line drive down the first baseline for two runs and the game's second tie.
Anchored by Aleka Xayaseng's three-run triple, the Cardinals put up five in the sixth and gathered the first commanding lead of the game, going on top 12-7.
UTSA was blanked in the home half and faced a mighty climb in their final opportunity at the plate – but the Roadrunners meticulously picked away at the lead and capitalized on Lamar miscues to complete their first rally of the season. Lenton and Cambell put some pieces on the board with consecutive singles and Sammy Dees walked to load up the bases. One-by-one, the deficit slipped away on back-to-back RBI walks for Mata and Hood, followed by consecutive RBI singles for Estell and Jensen to cut the difference to a single run with two outs. Camryn Robillard skied a ball into shallow left center – where three Lamar fielders converged and the ensuing miscommunication allowed the ball to drop and both Hood and Estell to score, completing the 13-12 walk-off rally.
Jensen (two RBI) and Ibarra (one RBI) both went 3-for-5, both scoring twice to lead UTSA. Mata went 2-for-3 with a team-best three RBI and two scores. Eight Roadrunners recorded hits.
Jamie Gilbert (1-1) earned the win on 1.1 innings, allowing two hits and no runs, striking out one batter. Karyana Mitchell (1-4) was called from the bullpen to stem the tide, but ended with a loss after allowing three of her own runs to score, as well as three inherited runners.
Friday's games mark the first time UTSA has scored in double-figures in consecutive games since a 13- and 11-run doubleheader at Middle Tennessee in March 2015. In total across the two games, UTSA racked up 26 hits, nine doubles and 15 walks, scoring a combined 28 runs.
UTSA returns to action at Roadrunner Field on Saturday afternoon, slated for meetings with New Mexico State (2:30 p.m.) and Texas A&M – Corpus Christi in day two of the I-35 Tournament presented by Courtyard Marriott at The Rim.
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