SAN ANTONIO – The UTSA softball team split the first day of action at the Birds Up Bash, as they first fell to No. RV Boise State, 8-2, before besting Le Moyne 8-7 in what represented head coach Vann Steudeman's 300th career win.
The Roadrunners (10-5) will next face Houston on Saturday at 1 p.m., and depending on seeding, will either appear in the No. 1 vs. No. 4 matchup at 3:30 p.m. or the No. 2 vs. No. 3 contest at 6 p.m.
Game One vs. Boise State
The 'Runners suffered an 8-2 setback at the hands of the Broncos in game one, as freshman Reagan Stoudt (0-1) was tagged with the loss, and Julianne Rose (1-1) earned the win. Newcomer Skylar Rucker and sophomore Sydney McReynolds scored the squad's lone runs, while classmate Kalee Rochinski and junior Katia Reyes recorded RBIs.
Boise State took advantage of a UTSA error to get on the board in the top of the first, and a two-run blast in the third put them up 3-0. A solo home run in the sixth increased their advantage to four, but UTSA finally broke through in the home half.
Rucker and redshirt freshman Makayla Madrid were both walked, putting a pair on for Rochinski. The Montgomery, Texas native then sliced a single into the left-center, and a Bronco miscue allowed Rucker to dent home. Reyes then plated McReynolds, who pinch-ran for Madrid, on a ground out to cut the Roadrunner deficit in half.
Not to be deterred, The Broncos answered right back, scoring four in the seventh to help secure the 8-2 victory
Game Two vs. Le Moyne
The Roadrunner survived late-inning drama to take down Le Moyne 8-7 in the nightcap, as sophomore Meredith Schmitt (4-1) secured the win after allowing only one hit over three innings and freshman Ava Eldridge twirled her first career save. For the Dolphins, Nevaeh Ross was handed the loss (1-4).
UTSA's pitching staff permitted just two hits across the contest, with Reyes also featuring for the squad and fanning three. She starred at the plate as well, launching a pair of home runs and recording 5 RBIs. Freshman Sabrina Wick went 2-for-3, as seniors Crislyne Moreno and Jaylen Prichard registered multiple hits, with Prichard driving in two runs.
A two-out rally in the bottom of the first was sparked by a Rochinski walk, a Madrid single, and a Moreno hit by pitch that loaded up the bases for Prichard. She legged out an infield single and a wide Dolphin throw cleared the bases for a 3-0 lead. Reyes then stepped up and drilled one over the wall in right-center to issue a five-run advantage for UTSA.
From there, things were quiet until the fourth, when Le Moyne recorded their first hit of the day via a three-run home run that kept things close. A fielder's choice RBI in the fifth saw a 5-4 score line, but Reyes responded at the bottom of the sixth, belting a three-run bomb that plated Prichard and Moreno to work an 8-4 edge.
The Dolphins wouldn't go quietly, as a walk and a UTSA error put a pair on with no outs in the top of the seventh. A single into right-center followed, scoring a run before Eldridge was called out of the pen. Two more runs came across via another miscue, trimming the Roadrunner lead to one, still with no outs. Eldrdige then induced a lazy fly ball, a groundout, and a swinging strikeout to cement the 8-7 UTSA victory that was the 300th of Steudeman's career.
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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