UTSA kicked off its American Athletic Conference weekend series against the University of Tulsa on Friday, beating the Oklahoma school 4-3.
Stamped with nearly the same season record and both coming off mid-week matchup losses, the Roadrunners (20-29, 5-17 AAC) and the Golden Hurricane (19-28, 7-15 AAC) battled it out in an even-defensive display. When Tulsa tied the score in the seventh inning, senior utility Crislyne Moreno closed out the game with an RBI double in extra innings.
“I feel great,” Moreno said of her performance. “I really just appreciate the girls being there for me. It’s been a really emotional weekend with it being senior weekend. There’s only four of us, so we’re trying to make the most out of it. Personally, I feel overwhelmed by it, but I’m using that as fuel.”
Golden Hurricane infielder Maci Cole managed to score in the seventh inning, and freshman pitcher Ava Eldridge was taken out before finishing her near complete game. Tulsa went on the score an additional two runs following infielder Paige Knight’s single to center field that tied up the score at 3-3.
Tulsa pitcher Alexa Hopkins walked freshman utility Sabrina Wick before Moreno stepped up to bat. After one ball, Moreno floated a ball past the infielders and into center field. Wick ran home to score the winning run as Moreno left with two RBIs.
“Earlier in the season, we would have let that worry us,” Moreno said of Tulsa’s seventh inning efforts. “Overall, it was the confidence from everybody. Everybody was confident in the defense, in the offense and in the next hitter. We all had each other’s backs, and you could feel the presence of that, and it showed.”
Moreno knocked out her fourth home run of the year during her first visit to home plate. In the bottom of the first, Moreno launched Tulsa pitcher Maura Moore’s cookie out of left field, with a solo homer — putting up the first point of the ball game and setting the Roadrunners on an uphill, offensive trajectory.
Tulsa gave UTSA very few chances to move around the bags, until senior utility Jaylen Prichard singled into right field in the bottom of the fifth. Senior outfielder Lindsey Davis met Prichard at first base to step in as the pinch runner, but it was not until senior infielder Camryn Robillard singled to right field that Davis got the chance to showcase her speed.
Tulsa infielder Faith Russell struggled to get under Robillard’s ball, and Davis quickly jumped through second and ran to third. Robillard went on to steal second, with freshman infielder Skylar Rucker at the plate. Rucker walked to first, and with the bases loaded, freshman utility Sabrina Wick hit a ball toward center field. As the Golden Hurricane outfielders scrambled to push the ball closer infield, Davis and Robillard ran home.
UTSA will continue the weekend series against University of Tulsa at 12 p.m. Saturday at Roadrunner Field.
