Softball splits week, looks ahead to UAB

Ciarra+Mata+launches+a+ball+during+UTSA%E2%80%99s+series+against+North+Texas.+Mata+scored+twice+in+the+team%E2%80%99s+lone+win+over+the+Mean+Green+on+Friday.

Dustin Vickers

Ciarra Mata launches a ball during UTSA’s series against North Texas. Mata scored twice in the team’s lone win over the Mean Green on Friday.

Julia Maenius, Assistant Sports Editor

The UTSA softball team (12-22, 5-7 C-USA) split last weekend with a win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and a 1-2 series record against North Texas. The Roadrunners hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the seventh to secure their lone win over the Mean Green.

Traveling to Corpus Christi on April 5, UTSA faced the Islanders for the second time this season. UTSA swept the seven innings with a 6-0 win. Scoring two runs in the bottom of the second, the Roadrunner kicked off the scoring with a Ciarra Mata single to right-center for a two-RBI hit, scoring Erykah Guererro and Kaitlyn Morado. Adding two more runs in the bottom of the third, Camryn Robillard singled to put UTSA on base. A homer to left-center off the bat of Riley Grunberg gave the Roadrunners a 4-0 lead. UTSA concluded the scoring in the fifth. Marena Estell was walked before Morado sent a ball to center field for a two-RBI home run as UTSA held off the Islanders for the remaining innings for a 6-0 win.

The  Roadrunners returned to Roadrunner Field for a three-game weekend series against North Texas beginning on April 8. The Mean Green got on the board early with three runs in the top of the second. With two runners on in the bottom of the third, a double up the middle from Robillard scored Lauren Coerver to cut the lead down to 1-3. With two outs and two runners on, Emily Dear stepped to the plate and doubled up the middle to score Mata and Robillard to tie the game (3-3). North Texas added two runs to the board to regain the lead in the top of the fourth. A solo homer from Coerver in the fourth put UTSA within one (4-5). The Mean Green scored two more runs in the fifth and sixth to create a two-run lead at the start of the seventh inning. With two runners on in the bottom of the second, Riley Grunberg sent a home run ball over the center-field wall for a three-RBI homer and tied the game. Estell was up to the plate next, slamming a walk-off homer over the right-field wall to win the game 8-7.

The Mean Green returned to Roadrunner Field on April 9 for the second game of the series. After a scoreless first-half inning, the Roadrunners took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first. With one runner on, Estell homered to center field for a two-RBI home run, scoring Robillard. North Texas responded with three runs of their own in the top of the second to take a 3-2 lead. A two-run bottom of the second saw UTSA take a one-run lead. With Coerver on first, Kat Ibarra doubled to right-center and advanced on the throw as Coerver was sent home to tie the board. A passed ball from the North Texas catcher gave Ibarra the opportunity to cross home plate and give the Roadrunners a 4-3 lead. Runs from the Mean Green gave them a two-run lead to win the second game of the series, 6-4. 

North Texas clinched the series with an 11-4 win on April 10. The Mean Green grabbed a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Adding four runs in the second, North Texas created a 7-0 lead early. The Roadrunners scored three runs in the bottom of the third to cut the Mean Green’s lead. A solo homer from Ibarra put UTSA on the board. Robillard was walked to reach first before Grunberg homered to left field for a two-run home run (7-3). After two scoreless innings, North Texas added another run to their lead in the sixth and three more in the seventh (11-3). A single from Grunberg in the bottom of the seventh scored Ibarra for the last run of the game as UTSA trailed 11-4 to close the series.

The Roadrunners return to Roadrunner Field tonight to face the UIW Cardinals (12-26) at 6 p.m. The team will then travel to Birmingham, Ala. for a weekend series against UAB (21-15). The first pitch of the series will be thrown at 6 p.m. on Friday, April 15. The series at UAB will be streamed on C-USA.tv.