ARLINGTON, Texas – The UTSA softball team improves to 9-4 overall with wins over Kansas and UT Arlington on Friday at the Boerner Invitational.
Game one: Kansas
A grand slam in the seventh inning clinched an 8-7 win over Kansas Friday morning.
The Roadrunners were on the board in the first inning with a double. Celeste Loughman opened with a single, then stole second to reach scoring position. Kindell Brooks hit a double to center field as Loughman scored. Riley Grunberg reach on an error, but a strikeout and a ground out closed the top of the frame. Kansas had four runs in the bottom of the first from a two-run homer, a single and an error to lead 4-1.
In the second, the Jayhawks added two more runs from a two-run homer to center field. UTSA trailed 1-6 after the second.
The Roadrunners closed the gap to two in the top of the third. Madison Washington was walked and Brooks reach on a fielder's choice as Washington was thrown out on the play. Grunberg singled to put two runners on base. Taylor Medina stepped up and hit a three-run homer to left field as KU led 6-4.
Kansas scored another run in the bottom of the sixth from a fielder's choice to lead 7-4 as the game moved to the final inning.
In the top of the seventh, Hannah Boring opened with a walk. With two outs on the board, Brooks and Grunberg earned walks to load the bases. Medina recorded her first career grand slam as the ball went soaring over the center field fence and the Roadrunners took the lead, 8-7. A 1-2-3 inning for Makenzie Carpenter ended the game.
Makenzie Carpenter improves to 4-1 on the season after pitching 6.2 innings with four strikeouts.
Game two: UT Arlington
A three-run homer from Riley Grunberg helped the Roadrunners defeat UT Arlington, 8-5 Friday afternoon.
UTSA scored two runs in the first to take an early lead. Kindell Brooks was hit by a pitch and Riley Grunberg reach on a fielder's choice as Brooks was tagged out at second. With two outs, Taylor Medina singled to right field and Victoria Villarreal was also hit by a pitch. With bases loaded, back-to-back walks from Marena Estell and Lauren Coever gave the Roadrunners two runs.
In the third, UTSA added another run (3-0) off a single from Hannah Boring.
A three-run homer in the fourth extended UTSA's lead. Celeste Loughman singled to left and Brooks followed with a single to right. Grunberg smacked the ball out of the park to center field to push the lead to six, 6-0. In the bottom of the frame, the Mavs scored a run off a sac fly to left field (6-1).
UT Arlington add two more runs in the fifth and two in the sixth to bring the Mavs within one, 6-5.
In the top of the seventh, Medina earned a walk and Villarreal singled to right-center. Estell singled to right field as Medina scored and Hannah Boring singled as Gabby Leggington (pinch runner) scored the final run to help the Roadrunners lead 8-5 and garner the game.
Erika Cortez improves to 3-2 on the season, mitching 4.1 innings with two strikeouts.
The Roadrunners return to action tomorrow when they take on Rutgers at 10 a.m.
-UTSA-
