SAN ANTONIO— The UTSA softball team split an American Conference doubleheader with South Florida on Friday, first picking up a 9-6 victory, before falling 5-1 at Roadrunner Field.
The Roadrunners (20-21, 8-7 American) took down the Bulls (29-12, 11-4 American) in game one, as junior Meredith Schmitt (1-1) picked up the win off 4.1 innings of scoreless softball. Belle Sardja (5-4) was tagged with the loss for South Florida.
At the plate, sophomore Skylar Rucker launched a home run, while freshman Demiree Stafford recorded four RBIs and legged out a bases-clearing triple.
USF capitalized on a UTSA miscue to plate four in the top of the first. The ‘Runners returned the favor in the home half, as junior Taryn Madlock was plunked with the bases loaded, and a freshman Brookelynn Meador RBI single followed by a Bulls error resulted in a 4-3 score line at the innings conclusion.
Things were quiet until the bottom of the fifth, when a Rucker solo shot knotted things up, 4-4. Two outs followed, ahead of a Mundine single, a Meador double, and a Madlock walk that put ducks on the pond for Stafford. She stepped up and delivered a bases-clearing triple, putting UTSA up, 7-4. The inning continued with a dropped third strike and a USF error that pushed Stafford across, and a senior Madison Hornback double plated classmate Katia Reyes shortly after increasing the Roadrunner advantage to five.
USF got one back in the sixth, and a solo home run in the seventh had them within three. From there, UTSA clamped down, securing the 9-6 game one victory.
In game two, Anne Long (11-3) picked up the win for USF, while Reyes (0-1) was issued the loss in her first pitching appearance of the campaign. Redshirt junior Madison Collins also appeared in the circle, tossing four scoreless frames, and freshman Aubrey Flores allowed just one hit in an inning of work.
South Florida struck first, with a two-run home run in the top of the first. They then loaded up the bases in the second, and a well-placed single scored all three for a 5-0 USF edge. A double steal in the sixth allowed Rucker to dent the plate, resulting in a 5-1 score line entering the seventh.
The ‘Runners threatened with two outs in the seventh, juicing the bases, but the threat did not come to pass as UTSA fell, 5-1.
The Roadrunners will now meet Texas State in San Marcos on Tuesday, with a 6 p.m. first pitch at the Bobcat Softball Stadium.
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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