Freshman Elyse Seals went 2-for-2 with four runs batted in to help lead UTSA to a 12-2 rout of Prairie View A&M in a neutral site contest held Sunday afternoon at the Aggie Softball Complex.
Seals had a three-RBI double and her first career home run to lead a 12-hit barrage by the Roadrunners, who improved to 2-3 on the season. Fellow freshman Amber Anderson wrapped up an impressive debut weekend by going 2-for-3 with her second long ball. The Alvin native hit .588 (10-for-17) with two doubles, two home runs and five RBIs. Junior Kelly Cato also collected a pair of hits in the program’s third win in three tries against the Lady Panthers (0-2).
UTSA wasted little time putting the game out of reach with a five-run first inning. Anderson, who went yard in her first collegiate at-bat on Friday against Tulsa, slugged a solo shot to left center field with one out. Senior Leanne Risberg walked and scored on sophomore Danyé Holmes’ first round-tripper of the season. Sophomore Emily Humpal drew a two-out walk and scored on a long ball to left field by freshman Kristin Wehmeyer.
Prairie View A&M plated a pair of runs in the bottom of the second on a sacrifice fly by Myneatric Woodard. Rebecca Martinez, who doubled earlier in the frame, scored an unearned run from third on a passed ball to make it 5-2.
The Roadrunners answered with three runs in the top of the third, all with two outs. Wehmeyer drew a two-out walk and a throwing error by the third baseman off the bat of freshman Ashley Kappler allowed Wehmeyer to score and Kappler to reach second base. Cato followed with an RBI-single to right field and came home on triple to right by junior Rudi Cantu.
After a pair of scoreless frames by both teams, Seals led off the sixth with a solo blast to left center to increase UTSA’s lead to 9-2.
The Roadrunners pushed across three more runs in the seventh. Back-to-back singles by sophomore Cara Romano and Humpal put runners on first and second with nobody out. Romano was erased on a fielder’s choice, but a single by Cato loaded the bases for Seals, who cleared the bags with a double to left center.
Humpal earned the win in relief, striking out four and allowing just one hit in four scoreless innings to run her record to 1-2. Martinez allowed nine earned runs and walked five in falling to 0-1.
Bridget Coronado went 2-for-3 to lead the Lady Panthers’ six-hit effort at the plate.
The Roadrunners travel to Waco for the Getterman Classic on Friday-Sunday, Feb. 13-15.
