April 8, 2010
Game Notes
Audio/Video Stream
RUSTON - Louisiana Tech hosts an important three-game Western Athletic Conference series this weekend when the Lady Techsters welcome one of the league's top offensive teams in New Mexico State.
The two teams will play a single game Friday at 6 p.m. and a doubleheader Saturday at 1 p.m. at the Lady Techster Softball Complex. Admission is free.
Tech (18-11, 4-2 WAC) is currently in a three-way tie for second place in the WAC standings, trailing only Hawaii (30-11, 8-0) while being tied with both Fresno State and Boise State.
New Mexico State (18-16, 0-6), which will host the 2010 WAC Tournament in Las Cruces in May, has gotten off to a slow start in league play after being swept by both Boise State and Hawaii in their first two series of the year.
The Aggies lead the WAC in team batting average with an impressive .334 clip as seven regulars are boasting a .300 batting average or better led by Kylie Randall (.432, 18-22 SB) and Hoku Nohara (.420, 9 HR, 39 RBI).
NMSU is one of the top power teams in the league, having hit 35 home runs on the season led by Nohara, Ashley Maroda (7 HR) and Angie Ortega (6 HR).
However, the Aggies issues have been in the circle where the team earned run average is a league worst 5.88 more than two and a half runs worse than LA Tech's 3.11 ERA. NMSU has used seven different pitchers this year led by Torrey Schroeder (7-5, 6.20 ERA), Carissa Theis (5-6, 6.29 ERA) and Sydney Willard (4-4, 6.12 ERA).
Tech counters with a team batting average of .240 and boasts only two players with a .300 batting average or higher led by Amberly Waits (.417, 5 HR, 22 RBI) and Meghan Knowles (.375, 2 HR, 15 RBI). However, Tech has seen a number of regulars starting to hit more consistently including Kendra Harmon (.270, 2 HR, 13 RBI), Amanda Parsonage (.256, 2 HR, 7 RBI), Kylie Bassett (.240, 7 HR, 18 RBI) and Jessica Kirby (.235, 3 HR, 29 RBI).
In the circle, junior Meghan Krieg will continue to see the bulk of the work. Krieg has a 14-9 mark with a 2.10 ERA while striking out a WAC-high 183 batters in 149.2 innings of action. Krieg is 4-0 in WAC games she has started this year.
Tech fans can access video and audio of the games via the Internet through a subscription to LA Tech All-Access at www.latechsports.com.
