SAN ANTONIO – Tuesday night's non-conference matchup between Houston Christian (15-20) and UTSA (6-28) saw a combined 34 hits and 27 runs before the Huskies eventually outpaced the Roadrunners to win the 18-9 midweek tilt.
The Huskies opened up with five consecutive hits and hardly slowed down as the game moved ahead, finding any available infield gap with their approach. Courtesy of a Haylie Savage two-run double, her theft of home and a Kaicey Hagler sacrifice fly, HCU went up 4-0 in the first.
UTSA countered quickly as junior shortstop Kat Ibarra led off with a single and scored for the fourth consecutive game via Camryn Robillard's sacrifice fly. Left fielder Emily Dear chopped another run away from the deficit with an RBI double to the left center wall.
Savage and Hagler came back around to cause the Roadrunners further problems in the second, each notching a three-run homer in the six-run HCU frame.
This time around, UTSA retaliated with a stronger counter, as a Lindsey Davis single got things started and Ibarra cashed in the run via her fourth triple of the year. Ibarra wasn't far behind, as Marena Estell plated two with a home run beyond left field. First baseman Sophie Campbell capped off the five-run inning with an RBI double to left that drew the deficit down to 10-7.
Just as UTSA's swift counterpunch provided some relief, Houston Christian was back on the attack, putting five more runs on the scoreboard, courtesy of AB Garcia, Avery Drake and Autumn Sydlik. The fourth inning saw an additional three-run homer produced by Savage to break the Huskies away.
In the meantime, the Roadrunners saw their hitting momentum quieted by HCU reliever Ronni Grofman, posting no runs in the third and fourth. Lilly Hood finally got her in the fifth frame, firing a first-pitch home run to left center, but it was not enough to rally UTSA as the 18-9 HCU win went final in the fifth inning.
An objectively impressive outing, Savage went 4-for-4 with two home runs and two doubles, posting eight RBI and four runs against the Roadrunners. For UTSA, Ibarra went 4-for-4 as well, scoring twice with one RBI. Dear logged two doubles in her 2-for-3 performance.
The Roadrunners are scheduled to meet Western Kentucky in a three-game Conference USA series this weekend, Thursday-Saturday. However, the current forecast calls for thunderstorms and rain – fans should stay informed by keeping up with the latest on our Twitter and Instagram @UTSAsoftball or on the website at goUTSA.com.
- UTSA -