On the opening weekend of the 2024 season, the UTSA softball team was unable to secure a singular victory in a series of showdowns in San Marcos.
UTSA struggled at the plate for the majority of the tournament, as they were outscored 24-11 across five games. Late-game pitching woes kept the Roadrunners from securing wins in a couple of games that went into extra innings.
“I think we just ran out of gas there towards the end,” head coach Vann Stuedeman said. “We just got to learn how to focus a little better.”
A promising first inning in game one against the rival Texas State Bobcats saw senior infielder Taylor Jensen drive an RBI double into left field. That early lead was short-lived as the Bobcats were able to drive in two runners across two innings. A late sixth-inning shot from junior utility player Jaylen Prichard had a chance to tie things up but fell short of making it over the fence.
Facing Northwestern State, the opposition took an early lead and never looked back. An 8-2 thrashing would cap off night one for the ‘Runners.
UTSA found itself in an early four-run hole against Southern Illinois on day two. Junior infielder Sophie Campbell brought in three runners by herself, and senior first baseman Erkyah Guerrero had the tying RBI single. As the game entered extra innings, UTSA’s pitching rotation was unable to hold up, and the ‘Runners lost another close game.
In the team’s best pitching performance of the tournament, the ‘Runners entered extra innings against Kennesaw State with no runs on the board for either squad. However, pitching was once again unable to keep up down the stretch; Kennesaw State would score three in the top of the eighth to secure the win.
The final opponent of the tournament for UTSA, the Creighton Blue Jays, was a close contest for a while. In the fifth inning, Creighton brought five runners in to score, and UTSA would prove unable to match.
Being the only team in the American Athletic Conference to start 0-5, Stuedeman is anything but discouraged.
“You can be 0-56 and still win the American Conference and make the NCAA tournament,” Stuedeman said. “The message is ‘you get better every outing.’ You don’t lose; you learn.”
UTSA will next face Nicholls State at 9 a.m. Friday at Cougar Softball Stadium.
