March 17, 2010

Box Score

RUSTON - Meghan Krieg struck out a career-high 17 batters and Kylie Bassett hit a game-tying home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to lead Louisiana Tech to a 3-2 extra inning win over Mississippi Valley State Wednesday night at the Lady Techster Softball Complex.

With MVSU (5-13) leading 1-0 heading into the bottom of the seventh, Bassett lifted the first pitch she saw deep over the left centerfield fence, tying the game and sending it into extra frames.

After the Devilettes took a 2-1 lead in the top of the 10th inning on an unearned run, Tech (12-9) answered as Kendra Harmon drove home the tying run with a one-out single.

After Janna Frandrup reached on a fielder's choice and Amberly Waits recorded her fourth hit of the game to put runners on first and second, Jessica Kirby lined a pitch through the middle of the infield, scoring Frandrup and giving LA Tech the victory.

Krieg (8-8) was dominant throughout the game. The junior hurler fanned the first five batters she faced and didn't allow a hit until a Alexandria Robertson took an off-speed pitch over the left centerfield wall for a 1-0 MVSU lead in the top of the third inning.

Offensively, Tech never mastered Devilettes' starter Lisa Jansen, who allowed only one run on four hits and no walks while striking out seven through 7.0 innings of action. Jansen's only big mistake was a fastball down the middle to start the seventh inning that Bassett deposited into the cheap seats for her fifth home run of the season.

Krieg struck out at least one MVSU batter in nine of the 10 innings and had two innings in which she struck out the side. The 17 strikeouts bested her previous career-high of 14 set last season in a win over Hawaii.

Waits led Tech with four hits and passed former Techsters Chris Sherman into second place on the all-time hits list with 234. She needs only three more hits to pass former Tech star Emma Barnes as the all-time hits leader.

Krieg allowed only two runs - one earned - on four hits and two walks while fanning 17.

Tech's originally scheduled game against Grambling State which was set for Monday has been pushed to April 13. The Lady Techsters won't return to the field until March 26 when they open Western Athletic Conference play at home against Utah State.