BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The UTSA softball team recovered from a four-run deficit, using extra innings to overcome UAB, 8-5 in an American Conference series opener on Friday at Mary Bowers Field.
The Roadrunners (21-25, 9-10 American) beat the Blazers (19-25, 6-14 American) as a timely triple by junior Taryn Madlock knocked in redshirt sophomore Makayla Madrid to hand UTSA the lead in the eighth. The Roadrunner bats stayed hot, with a junior Samantha Mundine double following to score Madlock, and a pinch hit single for senior Madison Lenton sending Mundine home for an 8-5 edge that UAB was unable to recover from.
Sophomore Reagan Stoudt (5-6) picked up the win, tossing five innings in relief and allowing just one earned run, as Hannah Cole (1-3) was pegged with the loss. Senior Katia Reyes launched a home run and had 5 RBIs in the effort, while Madlock, Madrid and freshman Brookelynn Meador all posted multiple hits.
The Blazers got on the board in the bottom of the first, as a trio of walks and a passed ball gave them a 1-0 edge. Reyes prevented any further damage with a lineout double play, sending the squads into the second. A three-run home run followed in the subsequent stanza, using a 4-0 UAB advantage.
Meador and Madrid singled to open the top of the fourth, with two outs following. From there, Reyes roped a double into left-center, scoring the pair and trimming the squad’s deficit in half.
UTSA threatened in the top of the sixth as Mundine singled and Madlock was plunked. Reyes again delivered, this time blasting one over the wall in right-center, delivering a 5-4 Roadrunner lead. UAB loaded up the bases with two outs in the home half, and an infield single knotted the contest, 5-5.
After Stoudt kept UAB off the scoreboard in the seventh, the contest was sent into extra innings. Following the UTSA rally in the eighth, the Blazers roped a leadoff single, and Stoudt induced a flyout with a popout following to put the Roadrunners one out away from victory. From there, Reyes made another dazzling play at short, cementing the UTSA victory.
The squads will meet again on Saturday at 1 p.m., ahead of the series finale on Sunday at noon.
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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