SAN ANTONIO - Freshman Megan Low went 4-for-4 and scored three runs to help give UTSA a 6-2 win in the opener, but Houston Baptist grabbed a 6-0 win in game two behind Beth Evans’ complete-game shutout to split a doubleheader on Tuesday at Roadrunner Field.

 

Junior Haylee Staton earned her 10th win of the season, while classmate Morgan Luksa moved to a tie for the Southland Conference lead with her third save of the season in game one for the Roadrunners (18-22). Meanwhile, Michaela and Victoria Granchelli each hit two-run homers as the Huskies moved to 14-25 on the season.

 

In the opener, UTSA jumped out to a 2-0 lead with a pair of unearned runs against Keely Shuler. Senior Ashley Kappler opened the frame with a pop up to Mac Christensen at second base that was dropped before Low hit an infield single to the shortstop. The pair moved up a base on a groundout and scored on senior Nikki Goff’s two-out double to left.

 

The advantage increased with a run in the third inning when senior Caitlyn Ivy singled home Low, who reached on a double down the left field line. Another two-bagger by Low in the fifth set up freshman Courtney Buchman’s RBI-single to right center for a 4-0 advantage.

 

The Huskies cut the deficit in half an inning later on a Michaela Granchelli homer to left following Daniella Rodarte’s leadoff single. The home run ended Staton’s day after 5.1 innings in which the Austin native recorded four strikeouts.

 

However, the Roadrunners got both runs back in the bottom half of the frame when Kappler connected on her third round-tripper of the season after freshman Geena Garcia was hit by a pitch.

 

Luksa allowed just one hit in her 1.2 innings of relief for the save, while Staton improved to 10-5. Shuler took the loss for the Huskies after allowing four runs, only one of which was earned, on eight hits with one strikeout.

 

In the day’s second contest, Evans scattered six hits and a walk and notched seven strikeouts en route to her first complete-game shutout of the season. Houston Baptist got on the board in the second inning following Victoria Granchelli’s two-run homer and added a pair of runs in the sixth and seventh innings to back Evans’ strong performance.

 

UTSA will return to the diamond on Friday at 6 p.m. to start a two-game conference series against UT Arlington (13-19, 3-7 SLC). Saturday’s 2 p.m. series finale will serve as the Roadrunners’ annual Strikeout Cancer game. T-shirts will be sold for $10 to benefit the San Antonio Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in honor of former UTSA player Hope Ortiz.