SAN ANTONIO — The UTSA softball team suffered a narrow 2-1 defeat at the hands of No. 24 Baylor in nonconference action on Tuesday, despite stealer performances from senior Jamie Gilbert and junior Jaylen Prichard.
The Roadrunners (12-30, 3-12 The American) dropped a heartbreaker to the Bears (22-14, 5-10 Big 12), with Gilbert (5-12) getting tagged with the loss after tossing a complete game and allowing just one earned run. Meanwhile, RyLee Crandall (11-5) earned the win in relief for Baylor.
Prichard stood out at the dish, going 3-for-4, with redshirt freshman Kylie Forney joining her in recording a hit and classmate Madi Hays denting the plate on the squad's lone run.
Things remained quiet until the bottom of the third when Forney was plunked, and Hays traded places with her courtesy of a fielder's choice ground ball. Prichard then moved Hays over to second on a bloop single, ahead of a Baylor error that pushed her across for a 1-0 lead. Senior Erykah Guerrero was walked, loading up the bases before the Bears found a pair of outs to strand ducks on the pond.
Baylor capitalized on a UTSA error in the top of the fifth that knotted the contest, and the Roadrunners looked to answer in the home half, loading the bases on a Prichard single and free passes for senior Taylor Jensen and Jahn. The Bears again worked their way out of the jam, keeping the game deadlocked, 1-1.
Baylor finally broke through in the seventh, using a pair of singles to take a 2-1 lead with two outs in the stanza. Sophomore Madison Lenton worked a full-count walk in the bottom of the frame as the squad looked to rally, but the threat did not come to pass as The Bears staved off an upset and secured a win.
UTSA will now turn its attention toward Charlotte, with a three-game American Athletic Conference series beginning at 6 p.m. on Friday at Roadrunner Field.
-UTSA-