SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA softball team wrapped up Day Two of the UTSA Invitational unscathed, first taking down UMass Lowell 4-2 to wrap up pool play and secure the tournament's No. 1 seed. They again faced the Riverhawks in bracket play, where they pulled off a 14-13 victory to advance into the championship game.
After their first 4-0 start since the 2021 campaign, the Roadrunners (4-0) will now take on the winner of No. 2 seed Weber State or No. 3 seed SIUE at 1 p.m. on Sunday.
Game One
A three-run home run for senior Crislyne Moreno, as well as a solid game in the circle for junior Katia Reyes and freshman Reagan Stoudt, made the difference as UTSA bested UML, 4-2, in the first game of the day.
Reyes (1-0) fanned three en route to her first UTSA victory, while Stoudt (1) allowed just one hit over the final three frames with four strikeouts for her first career save. For the Riverhawks, Olivia Decitise (0-1) was dinged with the loss.
A leadoff single and a double for the UML gave them a one-run lead at the top of the first.
UTSA responded in the third, as freshman Skylar Rucker reached base safely on a UML miscue before moving to second on a passed ball. Classmate Sabrina Wick then sliced a single through the right side, plating Rucker and tying the contest. Wick swiped second, and senior Jaylen Prichard was plunked to keep the rally going. Moreno stepped up and mashed her three-run home run to issue a 4-1 Roadrunner advantage.
The Riverhawks took advantage of multiple UTSA miscues in the top of the fifth to push across a run, but from there, Stoudt took over to secure the save and the 4-2 victory.
Game Two
The second game was an all-out slugfest as the bats came alive in a 14-13 Roadrunner victory.
Freshman Ava Eldridge (2-0) picked up her second victory of the season after fanning three over 2.2 innings. Reyes (1) got the final two outs of the contest, including a two-out, full-count bases-loaded strikeout for her first save as a Roadrunner. Additionally, Decitise (0-2) picked up her second loss of the day,
Prichard pushed five runs across for the squad, going 2-for-4 with a double, while sophomore Kalee Rochinski and redshirt freshman Makayla Madrid each posted three hits to go with three RBIs. Moreno again went yard and scored a squad-high four times.
UML wasted no time getting on the board, with a five-run first putting them in the driver's seat. Wick and Rucker then kick-started a rally in the home half with back-to-back singles. Shortly after, Rucker dented the plate on a fielder's choice, and a Rochinski double pushed two more across, resulting in a 5-3 score line.
A scoreless top of the second followed before a Riverhawk error sent senior Camryn Robillard home after she reached via a walk. Rucker dropped a double into the gap, and consecutive free passes knotted the contest at five, loading the bases in the process. Prichard then laced a two-bagger into left center, scoring three and handing UTSA an 8-5 edge.
ULM responded in the fourth with another five-run frame, and the Roadrunners used a crooked number in their half to keep things tied at 10. Moreno drilled a home run over the wall in right-center, and Prichard singled and came around to score on another Riverhawk error.
The UTSA bats remained hot in the fifth as senior Lindsey Davis walked, and a base hit for Wick opened the stanza. Moreno was issued a free pass, loading the bases, and a Madrid double followed, scoring two. From there, Prichard and Rochinski plated a pair on subsequent singles, allocating a 14-10 Roadrunner lead.
Not to be deterred, the Riverhawks looked to extend the contest in the seventh, taking advantage of a leadoff double and scoring a run on a walk and a base knock with one out. Another base on balls put ducks on the pond, and a walk pulled them within two. Junior Madison Hornback corralled a sharply hit ball for the second out, and a fielder's choice RBI prompted a 14-13 score line and kept the bases juiced. Reyes then clamped down, twirling a full-count strikeout to pick up the save and the win.
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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