UTSA Eliminates UT Arlington in 11 Innings
No. 5 UTSA 4, No. 2 UT Arlington 3 (11 inn.)
HUNTSVILLE, Texas - The No. 5 seed UTSA upset the No. 2 seed UT Arlington, 4-3 in 11 innings advancing to the final four of the 2011 Southland Conference Softball Tournament in Huntsville, Texas.
With the bases loaded in the bottom of the 11th inning, UTA freshman catcher Rachel Forshaw, who was attempting to turn a double play, over threw first base, allowing UTSA junior Ashley Kappler to score the winning run.
UT Arlington took an early 1-0 lead in the top of first inning. Freshman Stephanie Gonzalez singled to right center and advanced to second base on a center field throwing error, giving the Mavericks a runner in scoring position with one out. Junior Erica LeFlore followed with a single to right field and advanced to second on the throw, scoring Gonzalez.
The Mavericks got out of a bases loaded jam in the bottom of the third inning allowing just one run as UTSA tied the score 1-1 on a single by senior Kristin Kappler, scoring junior Nikki Goff.
UTSA took a 3-1 lead in the bottom of the fifth inning on a two run single up the middle by junior Caitlyn Ivy. Ivy reached second on an error by the center fielder allowing senior Kristin Kappler and freshman Molly Fichtner to score.
UTSA senior Emily Humpal, who came on in relief, recorded her 11th win of the season pitching five scoreless innings giving up just two hits and had one strikeout.
UT Arlington answered in the top half of the sixth inning with two runs tying the game 3-3. With two on, junior Courtney Enockson drove an RBI double to right center field scoring senior Jordan Barry and freshman Callie Collins.
The last time UTSA won an extra inning game in the Southland tournament in 2004, the Roadrunners went on to win the title.
UTSA advances to play the top seed Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in an elimination game at approximately 8:15 p.m. tonight.
UT Arlington ends its season with a 34-23 record, its most wins since the 2007 season. Sophomore Teri Lyles pitched the entire game for the Mavericks going 10.2 innings with 10 strikeouts and giving up only one earned run.
Post Game Quotes
UTSA Interim Coach Stephanie Hughes
“I’m very proud of our team because they never quit or put their heads down. Through it all they kept fighting and that effort allowed us to advance. It was a great game and you could see that neither team wanted to go home. At this point in the season you need a little luck and we had it on our side this afternoon.”
UTSA Junior Ashley Kappler
“I’m happy to be moving on to face Corpus tonight. It was a great team win for us. We got contributions from everyone in the lineup and Danye and Emily were great in the circle. I was just happy to add to that effort with a hit in the 11th.”