SAN ANTONIO — Senior Taylor Jensen stepped up and delivered a two-out, walk-off home run in the eighth inning to propel the UTSA softball team past South Florida, 8-5, in an American Athletic Conference Senior Day showdown on Saturday.
The Roadrunners (15-40, 5-21 The American) bested the Bulls (33-20, 12-13 The American), as senior Jamie Gilbert (7-17) picked up the win in relief, less than 24 hours removed from a 10.1 innings marathon outing in the series opener.
Classmate Kenzi Schultz and freshman Zelinda Camacho also featured in the circle, as the trio combined to scatter four hits and work three strikeouts.
Senior Erykah Guerrero joined Jensen in smashing a home run on the afternoon, each recording three RBIs, while redshirt freshman Madi Hays and junior Camryn Robillard also plated runs.
A triple and an RBI groundout in the top of the first handed USF an early 1-0 lead before Schultz bounced back, escaping the inning without further damage.
UTSA broke through with their first hit in the bottom of the fourth as Guerrero led off the stanza with a double into the right field. A sophomore Lindsey Davis bunt single followed, but the ‘Runners were caught in a pickle trying to steal home for the first out of the inning. Hays then dropped a double into the gap, plating Davis, before coming around to score herself on a Robillard single.
Now leading 2-1, the Roadrunners weren’t done as Guerrero blasted a three-run home run in the fifth, plating freshman Aubrie Henderson, who entered as a pinch runner, and junior Jaylen Prichard for a 5-1 score line.
USF continued battling, using a grand slam in the top of the sixth to work a 5-5 tie and send the contest into extra innings for the second consecutive outing.
Neither squad could reach base safely in the seventh, and Gilbert stranded a leadoff walk in the top of the eighth, providing UTSA with the opportunity to walk it off in the home half.
Redshirt freshman Kylie Forney was issued a free pass to start the frame, and two quick outs followed. From there, Prichard sliced a single through the left side, bringing up Jensen, who ended the contest by sending a missile over the wall in the left-center that saw an 8-5 final score.
The Runners and Bulls will meet once more, with a noon contest on Sunday representing the series finale.
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