April 1, 2007

Box Score - Game 1 | Box Score - Game 2

SAN MARCOS - Bobcat softball rallied in both games of a doubleheader with UTSA on Sunday, winning 2-1 and 6-4 to complete a three-game sweep of the Roadrunners and climb right back into the thick of the Southland Conference race.

Leah Boatright's two-run home run proved the difference in game one, and Elizabeth Dennis pitched three strong innings of relief to earn her first career win in game two as the Bobcats rallied from down 3-0.

Texas State improved to 18-17 overall and 8-7 in the SLC, marking the first time all season the `Cats have been over .500 in conference. UTSA fell to 18-23 overall and 12-6 in conference after being swept by the Bobcats for the second straight season.

Game one started off as a pitchers' duel between Texas State's Ragan Blake and UTSA's Amanda Nikolenko until the Roadrunners broke a scoreless tie on a solo home run by Aimee Murray in the top of the fourth. The `Cats quickly answered in the bottom frame when Boatright sent a towering shot over the left field fence.

Blake took care of the rest, allowing only one hit over the final three innings for the win. She allowed one run on four hits with three walks and six strikeouts while improving to 13-8 on the season.

Nikolenko took the loss and fell to 9-13, giving up two runs on three hits in six innings of work while walking three and striking out five.

Blake started game two for the Bobcats as well, but got off to a rocky start as Leanne Risberg led off the game with a home run for UTSA. She then gave up another home run to Catherine Garza to start the second, then walked two of the next three batters.

Megan Mikeska relieved Blake, but she hit the first two batters she faced to force in a run and give UTSA a 3-0 lead. Mikeska managed to escape further damage as the Roadrunners left runners in scoring position for the first of four times in the game.

Texas State got a run back in the bottom of the second after Boatright walked and stole second before scoring on an Ashton Peters double to left.

The Bobcats would then complete the comeback in the fourth, as the `Cats led off the inning with four straight singles. The fourth was a two-run single by Tamara Keller to tie it at 3-3 off of Nikolenko, who had relieved starter Janeille Nickels after Nickels loaded the bases.

Following a Ryan Kos sacrifice to move the runners into scoring position, Texas State took the lead when Nikolenko threw a wild pitch to the backstop that allowed pinch runner Haley Koop to score from third.

With the Bobcats leading 4-3 after four, Dennis retired six straight batters to keep the `Cats on top. The Bobcat offense then provided some insurance in the bottom of the sixth when Amy Krueger drove an RBI double to the gap to plate Keller. After another sacrifice bunt to move Krueger to third, Nikolenko threw her second wild pitch of the game to let Krueger take home and make it 6-3.

UTSA fought to come back in the seventh, loading the bases with one out against Dennis to bring the go-ahead run to the plate. After leaving in the second inning, Blake re-entered to try and pitch Texas State out of the jam.

She first gave up an RBI single to Kelly Cato that cut the lead to 6-4, but Blake then struck out Kim Chavez and got Kourtney Jones to foul out to Alex Newton to end the game.

It was the first save of the season for Blake, while Dennis finished with one earned run on three hits and two walks in 3.1 innings for her first win as a Bobcat.

Nickels took the hard-luck loss for UTSA, falling to 9-10 and finishing with four earned runs on four hits and two walks in three innings.

The Bobcats will now have a quick turnaround against tough competition, as No. 9 Texas comes to San Marcos on Wednesday, Apr. 4, for the first of two games between the teams this month. First pitch for the game is slated for 6:00 p.m.