Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 Posted Mar 12, 2003 20:17:51
First home dates in over a month yield doubleheader split
Ruaton - Lady Techster softball (5-18) used nine hits and seven runs to win the nightcap of a home doubleheader against Southeastern Louisiana University (7-13) by a score of 7-1. Tech lost game one in eight innings by a 4-3 margin.
In game one Tech battled back from a 3-1 fourth inning deficit courtesy of a fifth inning Marla Pinkston homerun and a sixth inning RBI single from Alison White.
"The team showed a lot of fight in the first game," head coach Sarah Dawson said. "We identified getting down on ourselves as a problem before the game, and today we didn't do that."
However, the Lady Techsters would pick up the loss when SLU pushed across a run in the top of the eighth inning.
Tech couldn't answer the score, leaving left fielder Brittany Stanley stranded at second base to close out the contest.
Pinkston (3-6) picked up the loss going eight strong innings while allowing four runs (two earned) with five strikeouts.
Tech finally got its offense going in game two with a two-run third inning followed by a four-run fourth inning.
Shortstop Casey Reiff, first baseman Ashley Aycock, Stanley and third baseman Bridget Broadnax each had RBIs in the two frames.
"Our hitters were patient in game two and everybody had good at-bats," Dawson said.
SLU answered with a single run of its own in the fifth inning, but any comeback hopes were slashed after right fielder Aimee Coleman doubled in catcher Erin Chernicky to push the lead back out to six runs.
The run producing hit was Coleman's first career Tech RBI and extra-base hit.
Freshman Kristin Rupp (2-9) picked up the win for Tech with seven innings of nine-hit softball that yielded only one run and produced six strikeouts.
"Kristin is the type of pitcher who is going to give up some hits," Dawson said. "Today she battled and gave her defense balls they could handle, and the defense played strong behind her."
Tech will again hit the road this weekend for four games at the Panther Spring Classic Softball Tournament hosted by Birmingham Southern College. The action begins Saturday at 11 a.m.
