ARLINGTON, Texas — The UTSA softball team took two on Day One of the 5th annual Boerner Invitational, as they topped UIW, 3-1, before besting Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 6-3 at Allan Saxe Field.
The Roadrunners (6-12, 0-0 The American) have won four of their last five, thanks largely to a day that saw freshman Brenna Jahn and junior Camryn Robillard each launch home runs. Additionally, the ‘Runners saw a pair of solid freshmen pitching performances as Zelinda Camacho picked up the victory over UIW and Iliana Saucedo fanned 10 against TAMUCC.
Game One vs UIW
The Roadrunners started off the day with a 6-3 victory over the Cardinals (9-2, 0-0 SLC) as Camacho (2-0) picked up the win, allowing just one earned run across 5.2 innings in the circle. Meanwhile, Samantha Portillo (2-1) was pegged with the loss for UIW.
After senior Jamie Gilbert stranded a pair in the top of the first, the ‘Runners used a trio of walks in the bottom half to load the bases. A sacrifice fly came courtesy of junior Sophie Campbell to score the first run, ahead of a Jahn round-tripper that issued UTSA a 4-0 advantage.
UIW took advantage of a Roadrunner error and a wild pitch to put up a run in the top of the second, but UTSA again rallied in their portion of the inning, as freshman Taryn Madlock kick-started the frame with a leadoff double. She then moved over to third and scored on a fielder’s choice ground ball to work a 5-1 edge.
The ‘Runners tacked another onto their total in the bottom of the third, as sophomore Madi Hays led off the inning with a sharply hit single through the right side. She swiped second and stole third before denting the plate on an errant throw by the Cardinal catcher.
In the top of the fourth, UIW capitalized on a UTSA miscue, pushing a pair across to trim their deficit to three, reflecting a 6-3 score. From there, Camacho kept the Cardinals off the board, propelling the ‘Runners to victory.
Game Two vs Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
Behind a stellar performance by Saucedo (2-0) in the circle, the Roadrunners topped the Islanders (10-6, 0-0 SLC), 3-1. She tossed a complete game with 10 strikeouts, allowing just three hits, while the NCAA strikeout leader Primrose Aholelei (6-4) was tagged with the loss.
Following a scoreless first inning, TAMUCC struck first, plating a run in the top of the second after a leadoff double.
In the home half, an Islander error allowed Campbell to reach base, and Jahn was issued a free pass, putting two on base. Robillard then smashed a long ball over the wall in left field, delivering a 3-1 UTSA lead.
Saucedo was nearly perfect across the final five frames, securing the Roadrunners’ second win of the day.
UTSA will be back at Allan Saxe Field on Saturday, with a 2 p.m. rematch against the Islanders on the docket ahead of a 4:30 p.m. showdown with host school UT Arlington.
Keep up with UTSA Softball all season long on goutsa.com, and by following the program on Facebook at /UTSASB, X (Twitter) @UTSASoftball, and on Instagram @utsasoftball.
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