SAN ANTONIO – Opening Day of the 2025 season was full of drama, as the UTSA softball team picked up two walk-off wins at Roadrunner Field. The 'Runners first bested Weber State, 3-2, before taking down SIUE, 5-4, for a 2-0 start at the UTSA Invitational.
UTSA vs. Weber State
A walk-off dead ball error handed UTSA a 3-2 victory over Weber State as sophomore Meredith Schmitt (1-0) secured the win, scattering three hits over the final 4.1 innings with four strikeouts, while Joslynn Veltien (0-1) was tagged with the loss.
Freshman Sabrina Wick was 2-for-4 with a run scored, and sophomore Kalee Rochinski joined her in logging multiple hits. Redshirt freshman Makayla Madrid was critical, getting her first collegiate hit via a game-tying RBI in the sixth, and senior Crislyne Moreno was solid in her Roadrunner debut, going 1-for-2 with two stolen bases.
After two scoreless frames by redshirt freshman Madison Collins, the Roadrunners threatened in the bottom of the second. Rochinski singled before swiping second and making her way to third on a wild pitch with two outs. WSU, however, found the put-away pitch, twirling a strikeout to keep the game scoreless.
The Wildcats got on the board first, as a leadoff double and a sharply hit single down the right field line plated a run in the third. Junior Katia Reyes turned two on a line out, and a later fly out permitted UTSA to escape the inning trailing 1-0.
Base hits for Wick and Moreno with two outs put runners on the corners in the home half. A double steal followed, and Wick scampered home to tie things up.
A single and a double in the gap saw a slim WSU lead in the fifth, but the Roadrunners kept battling, as Rochinski was plunked to lead off the bottom of the sixth. Freshman Skylar Rucker pinch ran for her and advanced to second on an errant pitch before moving over to third on a sacrifice by junior Madison Hornback. Madrid stepped up to the plate as a pinch hitter and rocketed a missile up the middle of the infield to score Rucker and tie the contest 2-2.
Schmitt had a three-up, three-down top of the seventh, and in the home half, Reyes was walked. Rochinski then dropped a blooper into right that was booted by a Wildcat infielder, going out of play and allowing Reyes to dent home and walk off with a 3-2 victory.
UTSA vs. SIUE
The 'Runners then took down SIUE in extra innings with a walk-off RBI groundout by Rucker, securing a 5-4 victory. Freshman Ava Eldridge (1-0) was incredible, scattering two hits over 5.1 innings with six strikeouts and no earned runs. Avery Arwood (0-1) got stuck with the loss after a marathon 154-pitch outing for the Cougars.
At the plate, Moreno and Madrid each logged doubles, and Rucker went 2-for-4 with a run and a stolen base. Wick drove in a pair on two hits, and Rochinski was issued three free passes.
SIUE capitalized on a leadoff double and a Roadrunner miscue to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the first. Looking to reply, Wick singled in the bottom half, and Reyes followed suit and swiped second to put a pair in scoring position. The threat, however, did not come to pass as SIUE issued a strikeout to escape the jam.
Back-to-back walks for junior Madison Lenton and Rochinski opened the bottom of the second, and a sac bunt moved the runners over. Rucker then sliced a single into the left for a run, and Wick knocked two more in for a 3-1 UTSA advantage.
SIEU replied quickly with a two-run shot in the third, knotting the contest 3-3.
Moreno led off the fifth with a two-bagger, and another double for Madrid shortly after allowed her to score. Lenton slapped a single into left to keep the rally going, but the Cougars found consecutive outs to finish the frame without further damage.
With their backs against the wall and two outs on the scoreboard, the Cougars found a way as an error, and a double pushed a run across in the top of the seventh. UTSA was unable to dent the plate in their part of the frame, sending the game into extra innings.
After a scoreless inning by Eldridge, Lenton and Rochinski were issued free passes to start the bottom of the eighth. A fielder's choice put a tandem on the corners with one out, and Rucker worked an RBI groundout that allowed Lenton to score for the squad's second walk-off of the day.
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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