The UTSA women’s softball team took on the Baylor Bears at home on Wednesday, Feb. 13, after going 1-3 in the Bobcat Classic in San Marcos, Texas. The Roadrunners traveled to Hammond, Louisiana, to compete in the Lion Classic II. They won three out of their five games in the Lion Classic, improving their record to 4-6 and fifth in the Conference-USA (C-USA) Western Division standings.
Madison Nelson got the start on Wednesday against the Bears and gave up a home run in the second inning. Kaitlin Lopez responded in the bottom of the inning with a nuke to center field, but a single in the top of the third inning scored the second run for the Bears, making the score 2-1. The Baylor defense pinned the Roadrunners to their solitary run and tacked on two runs in the sixth inning, extending their lead to 4-1 and ending Nelson’s evening. Clarissa Hernandez took over on the mound for the ‘Runners and held the damage to four, giving up only one hit in 1.2 innings pitched. However, the Roadrunner offense showed no signs of life, and their efforts proved too little too late.
The Roadrunners then headed to Hammond, Louisiana, to play in the Lion Classic II. They opened the tournament on Friday, Feb. 15, against Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. Celeste Loughman had three hits and Bailee Baldwin homered, but the UTSA was defeated 5-4. The ‘Runners then played Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, and Marena Estell led them to their first win since the first game of the season, pitching a complete game with five hits and zero earned runs for a 5-3 victory. UTSA continued to play Prairie View A&M University on Saturday, Feb. 16, and Prairie View A&M’s five unanswered runs in the first three innings proved to be too much for the ‘Runners, who lost 6-2. UTSA’s next opponent was Southeastern Louisiana University, in which Nelson’s complete-game shutout and Riley Grunberg’s seventh-inning single to score Kindell Brooks gave the ‘Runners a 1-0 victory. The Roadrunners’ final game of the Lion Classic was a 2-1 win over Missouri State University (MSU), Nelson once again got the start, and held MSU Bears to one run in a winning effort aided by three MSU errors, improving the ‘Runners record to 2-3 in the Lion Classic and 4-6 overall.
Next weekend the Roadrunners will be in Beaumont, Texas, on Feb. 22-24, for the Cardinal Classic. The ‘Runners will take on Maine University, Rhode Island University twice, Maine University (MU) again and finally Lamar University. Come see them in action at home in a double-header against the University of Alabama-Birmingham on March 9, at 1:00 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.
