SAN ANTONIO — UTSA softball hosted No. 3 Texas Tech University, one of the best teams in the country, losing 10-0 at Roadrunner Field.
There was little excitement in the result, but the Roadrunners (20-26, 8-11 AC) stepped up to face last year’s National Championship runner-up Red Raiders (42-3, 16-2 Big 12), with the game announced just 12 days ago. Coach Vann Stuedeman started freshman pitcher Arlette Hernandez and heavily rotated arms against the vaunted Texas Tech lineup. The Red Raiders immediately opened the scoring against Hernandez, reaching base in their first four at-bats and scoring three RBIs in the first inning. Despite recording two quick outs in the second inning, Texas Tech added three more RBIs to create a sizable 6-0 gap after two frames. UTSA remained hitless until the fourth inning, when freshman catcher Brookelynn Meador singled into right field for the ‘Runners’ sole hit of the night.
“I didn’t think we were all that competitive tonight,” Stuedeman said after the game. “I would have liked to have seen a little bit more hunger, a little bit more fire. I think we kind of let it happen to us. We didn’t compete to take it.”
Sophomore pitcher Reagan Stoudt had a career highlight in the second inning, as she struck out one of the biggest stars in college athletics. Senior NiJaree Canady, a 2026 Forbes “30 under 30” member, was the nation’s best pitcher last season, but she served only as a hitter on Tuesday, batting 1-for-3. Texas Tech started junior pitcher Kaitlyn Terry, who allowed one hit, two walks and recorded eight strikeouts to add another win to her 16-0 personal record on the mound.
Tuesday’s game was UTSA’s third top-10 matchup of the season, and its first since the UTSA Invitational tournament to kick off the season. The game was scheduled due to an opening in the Texas Tech schedule created by travel cancellations. Stuedeman stated that the Red Raiders contacted UTSA for the game and that the ‘Runners would not back down.
“If you want to get good, you have to play against the best,” said Stuedeman. “We’ve got to get guts. We’ve got to get pluck. To get pluck, you’ve got to get out there and fight them. I don’t know that we did that tonight, but that’s what I’m trying to teach.”
With nine games left in the season, UTSA only has one more conference series at home. The Roadrunners sit in seventh in the American Conference standings at 8-10. The Red Raiders outhit UTSA 15-1 on Tuesday. Texas Tech’s Terry recorded eight strikeouts, while UTSA’s six pitchers only recorded two.
UTSA will travel to play the University of Alabama at Birmingham for a weekend series, with the first game on Friday at 5:30 p.m. at Mary Bowers Field.
