HOUSTON — The UTSA softball team tasted victory for the first time under the direction of head coach Vann Stuedeman on Saturday, as they took down Northwestern State, 5-1, before besting Massachusetts, 3-2 on the final day of the Houston Classic at the Cougar Softball Stadium.
The Roadrunners (2-8, 0-0 The American) worked a pair of wins, as junior Camryn Robillard went 2-for-3 with 3 RBIs and a home run against the Demons, and senior Jamie Gilbert breezed past the Minutewomen tossing a complete game with a career-high 10 strikeouts and just one walk.
Game One vs Northwestern State
The Roadrunners took down the Demons (5-5, 0-0 SLC) after NSU got the better of UTSA twice earlier in the year. Freshman Illiana Saucedo (1-0) tossed three scoreless innings in relief to earn the win, while Ryleigh Denton (0-1) was tagged with the loss.
Robillard starred at the dish, going 2-for-3 with a trio of RBIs and a long ball. Sophomore Kylie Forney and junior Emily Dear also put in solid shifts, each driving in runs for the squad.
The Demons struck first, plating a runner on a sac fly in the top of the first.
Freshman Zelinda Camacho then made her collegiate debut, keeping NSU off the board in the second, and sophomore Madison Lenton walked and swiped a bag in the bottom half to move into scoring position. Forney then plated her on a hard-hit double into the gap and scored herself on a Dear single.
Now out in front, newcomer Meredith Schmitt twirled a clean inning with a strikeout, and senior Erykah Guerrero reached base on a comebacker in the bottom of the third. Robillard delivered a double into left, scoring her for a 3-1 UTSA advantage.
Sophomore Regan Smith logged a strikeout in the fourth, ahead of Saucedo taking over with two on and nobody out in the top of the fifth. She quickly logged a strikeout, and a fielder's choice ground out put runners on the corners. Jensen then caught a Demon stealing, allowing the Roadrunners to escape the inning unscathed.
Robillard launched her club-leading fourth home run of the season in the bottom of the fifth, allowing sophomore Madi Hays to dent the plate and issue a 5-1 lead. Neither team scored from then on, as the 'Runners cruised to their first win of the season.
Game Two vs Massachusetts
The 'Runners bested the Minutewomen (3-6, 0-0 A-10) off the back of a fanatic pitching performance by Gilbert. She fanned 10 and pitched all seven innings, surrendering just one walk in the process.
Junior Jaylen Prichard was hot at the plate, going 3-for-4, while senior Taylor Jensen launched a solo home run. Getting in on the action, junior Sophie Campbell and Lenton each drove in runs for UTSA.
Carrying momentum from the day's first game, Jenson stepped up and smashed a long ball over the wall in left-center for a 1-0 Roadrunner edge. A pair of scoreless innings followed before a UMass batter was plunked ahead of a home run that handed the opposition a 2-1
UTSA responded in the sixth, as Prichard dropped a leadoff single and Guerrero reached base safely. Newcomers Sydney McReynolds and Aubrie Henderson pinch ran and later scored on hits by Campbell and Lenton, which issued a 3-2 UTSA lead entering the bottom of the frame. With no outs in the stanza, the Minutewomen loaded the bases on a single, a double, and an intentional walk. Unfazed, Gilbert struck out the next three batters, preserving the Roadrunners' advantage.
The 'Runners were unable to add any insurance runs in the seventh, and Gilbert induced a fly out to begin the bottom of the inning. UMass slapped a single through the left side, but the threat did not come to pass as Gilbert induced a 6-4-3 double play to cement a 3-2 UTSA victory.
The Roadrunners will next do battle in College Station, Texas, where they'll meet Southeastern Louisana, Kansas, St. Thomas (MN), North Dakota State, and Texas A&M as a part of the Texas A&M-Invitational. The event will last from Thursday through Sunday, and UTSA will participate in six games.
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