Boxscore

The Tech softball team won their home opener and extended their win streak to four games with a 3-1 victory over the Northwestern State Demons at the Lady Techster Softball Complex Tuesday night.

The current four-game win streak is the longest since Tech (12-11) won eight-straight contests in the 2001 season, and senior ace Marla Pinkston has picked up all four wins during the streak, as she once again led the Lady Techsters to victory by giving up only one run and two hits in five innings of work against the Demons (12-15).

The win upped Pinkston?s record to 8-8 on the season, and dropped her E.R.A. to a low 1.62. However, the one earned run ended Pinkston?s 28 1/3 inning streak of not allowing an earned run.

Tech head coach Sarah Dawson largely credits Pinkston for the Lady Techsters? recent success with her dominance on the mound.

?Marla hadn?t given up an earned run in the past four games, and tonight she just continued where she left off,? Dawson said. ?It?s not easy performing so well with that big of a break between games, but Marla did an excellent job for us tonight. She?s worked so much, not on her physical game, but on her mental approach and staying in control of her thought process.?

After three innings of no hits or base runners for either team, it was Northwestern State who broke the ice and scored the first run of the game in the top of the fourth inning. Nicole Martin led off the inning for the Demons and tripled to left field, before Shay Hunt stepped to the plate and was hit by pitch.

Hunt then started for second in attempt to steal, and as Tech?s catcher Ashley Aycock popped up to gun her down, Martin headed for home and slid in safely. However, Pinkston would battle her way out of the jam by retiring the next three batters consecutively.

But it wouldn?t take long for the Lady Techsters to respond, as Tech would post three runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to take the lead and ultimately the win. Amber Miles started the rally with a single up the middle before Brittany Stanley laced a single of her own. Jessica Elson then reached by error, and Tech had the bases juiced.

Bridget Broadnax stepped to the plate and singled to left field, scoring Miles. After two Lady Techsters struck out, Aycock drilled a shot to left field, and Elson and Stanley both scored on an error by Northwestern State's left fielder Nicky McGuirk.

?We got off to a good start with Amber and Brittany getting back-to-back hits,? Dawson said. ?Those two have carried us offensively lately. Something I stress to my team is, if you put the ball in play, things can happen. You force the other team to play defense.?

And that is all Tech would need for the win, as Lindsey Meadows came in for relief of Pinkston and picked up her third save of the season. Meadows has yet to give up a hit, walk or run in six innings of work and has struck out eight batters in the process.

The Lady Techsters return to action Thursday night with a double header at Southern Mississippi beginning at 5 p.m.