April 3, 2010

Box Score

SAN JOSE, Calif. - For the second straight day, junior Meghan Krieg dominated a very good San Jose State softball team and this time the Louisiana Tech offense joined in the fun as the Lady Techsters defeated the Spartans 9-1 in six innings in game one of the Western Athletic Conference doubleheader.

San Jose State rebounded during the afternoon to win the third and final game of the series 10-2 although the Lady Techsters won two out of three in the series.

"Every weekend we go into it wanting to win every game we play," said Tech head coach Sarah Dawson. "However, most coaches are going to be happy taking two out of three - especially on the road. It's not easy to win on the road in this conference. We put together two good games against a team that had been pretty hot. I'm happy with it."

In the first game of the day, Tech (17-11, 4-2 WAC) pounded out a season-high 12 hits and coasted to the 9-1 victory - its fifth straight against the Spartans.

Although eight of the nine starters got at least one hit in the game, it was seniors Amberly Waits and Jessica Kirby who did the majority of the damage as the duo combined for four hits and seven RBI on the day.

With the two teams scoreless in the top of the third, Waits reached on a fielding error by San Jose State and then scored on an RBI double by Kirby to right centerfield, giving LA Tech a 1-0 lead.

The floodgates then opened in the fourth as Tech plate six runs on seven hits in the frame. Sarah Offutt singled to drive home the first run of the inning and then with two outs and the bases loaded, Waits hit a bases-clearing triple to right centerfield, upping the Lady Techsters lead to 5-0. Kirby followed with an RBI double and then freshman Meghan Knowles doubled to drive home the sixth and final run of the inning.

"It's nice when it's not just one part of our order producing," Dawson said. "There have been times this year when it has been only the top part or the bottom part; it was good to see one through nine having success today."

San Jose State finally got on the scoreboard against Krieg - who had pitched a 2-0 shutout over the Spartans on Friday - as Dani Brown recorded a two-out single to plate the only SJSU run of the game in the bottom of the fifth inning.

However, Tech quickly answered back with an RBI double by Waits and a sacrifice fly by Kirby in the sixth as the Lady Techsters won in six innings.

Krieg (13-9) allowed only one run on six hits and three walks while striking out five in the complete-game victory. For the series, Krieg allowed only one earned run on seven hits while striking out 13 in 13.0 innings of action against a Spartans team that entered the series batting .312 as a unit.

"It's not easy to shut the same team down two days in a row," Dawson said. "That's asking Meghan to do quite a bite. She did a great job. She executed the game plan. San Jose laid off some pitches today more than yesterday but Meghan made adjustments and got them out in other ways."

In the second game of the day, freshman Michelle Jones pitched better than the final numbers indicated in only her second loss of the season.

Jones (4-2) allowed 10 runs - eight earned - on 11 hits and three walks in 4.2 innings of action but had three strong innings.

"For any freshman pitcher there is a learning curve," Dawson said. "Michelle pitched three really solid innings today and then had two innings that weren't as solid. We talked afterwards about learning to string those innings together. She faced a really, really good hitting team that is full of seniors. They didn't just lay down after being dominated by Meghan in the first two games. She will learn from this and be stronger from it."

SJSU jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first inning as two infield errors by LA Tech proved costly as both runs were unearned.

Tech came back to tie the game at 2-2 in the top of the third inning on an RBI single by Kirby which also plated a second run as the throw home was mishandled by the Spartans infield, allowing Waits to score all the way from first base on the play.

However, the Spartans erupted in the bottom of the third, scoring five runs on four hits, including a three-run home run by Natasha Hawkins. The home run was only the second that Jones has allowed on the year.

Tech's offense was unable to close the gap as SJSU finished the game by plating three more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning as the game was called due to the eight-run rule.

Bassett recorded two hits while Kirby added the third.

Tech returns to action Tuesday when it travels to face UTA in a single game at 6 p.m. The Lady Techsters will return home this weekend to host New Mexico State in a three-game series starting Friday at 6 p.m.