SAN ANTONIO — The UTSA softball team will officially open American Athletic Conference play at Mary Bowers Field in Birmingham, Alabama, with a doubleheader against UAB on Saturday, starting at 1 p.m. The 'Runners will then wrap up their inaugural series as a league member with a noon contest on Sunday.
The Roadrunners (7-15, 0-0 The American) found success last week at the 5th Annual Boerner Invitational, which featured victories over UIW, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, and Grambling State. Freshman Iliana Saucedo was named The American's Pitcher of the Week after logging two wins and recording 18 strikeouts over 13.0 innings in the circle.
However, the team suffered a midweek defeat, as Abilene Christian bested the Runners 5-2 in the season's first contest at Roadrunner Field. Senior Erykah Guerrero went 2-for-4 at the dish, smacking a pair of doubles, while senior Taylor Jensen and freshman Taryn Madlock each drove in runs for the squad.
Jensen enters conference play as a league leader, catching six base runners stealing, while junior Camryn Robillard ranks third with five home runs. Additionally, Saucedo sits third, logging 8.2 K/7.
The Blazers (9-11. 0-0 The American) recently went 3-2 at the Ole Miss Classic, earning wins against Kent State and Ole Miss. Hannah Dorsett was a standout performer and like Saucedo was recognized by the AAC on their weekly honor roll. She went 6-for-12 with five RBIs, including a walk-off single.
UAB averages 0.50 double plays per game, the most in The American and the 32nd-highest average across the NCAA. Individually, Bella Wiggins has recorded six triples to lead the nation, and she is second in the AAC with eight stolen bases.
Wiggins leads the team with a .370 AVG, as Lindsey Smith and Dorsett join her above the .300 threshold. Smith paces the team with three home runs and has 17 RBIs. The Blazers manage a 3.66 ERA in the circle, and Leigha Kirby and Caitlin Russell have each posted three wins.
Keep up with UTSA Softball all season long on goutsa.com, and by following the program on Facebook at /UTSASB, X (Twitter) @UTSASoftball, and on Instagram @utsasoftball.
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