Feb. 25, 2011

Box Score

Box Score

OXFORD - Louisiana Tech third baseman Molly Goza started her career in Oxford, playing two years for the Rebels before transferring to Ruston.

On Friday night, Goza came back to haunt her former team recording a pair of run-scoring singles and a critical stolen base in a double steal situation that plated another run to lead the Lady Techsters to a 6-4 win over Ole Miss in the Red and Blue Classic.

Head coach Sarah Dawson's team bounced back after a disappointing performance in the first game of the day, falling 8-0 to South Alabama in five innings.

However, in the night cap, Tech got workman-like pitching performances by sophomore Michelle Jones and freshman Erin Kipp and exploited the Rebels on the base paths to the tune of five stolen bases to down Ole Miss for the third time in the last five meetings.

"The only way to get back to where you want is to fight like crazy for it," Dawson said. "The girls from pitch No. 1 were ready for the second game. They didn't take anything for granted. They didn't settle or wait for the next person to make a play. There was more of a sense of urgency.

"Offensively, we relaxed at the plate. We were way too tentative in the first game and got behind a lot in the counts. The second game we treated more like a batting practice round and stayed loose. We're a good hitting team but only when we are loose and being aggressive."

Tech (4-9) jumped out in the top of the first inning as Charday Wilson reached base on an error and advanced to second after Cassie Krieg was hit by a pitch. After Janna Frandrup flew out for the first out of the inning, Wilson and Krieg moved up a base on a passed ball.

Cleanup hitter Meghan Knowles then walked as Wilson scored on the play as ball four was another passed ball as LA Tech took the 1-0 lead.

Ole Miss (4-9) answered in the bottom of the second off Jones as Cali Overbeck hit a two-run home run over the rightfield fence, giving the Rebels a 2-1 advantage.

"The two-run home run was a pitch that was up and in and she still hit a home run," Dawson said. "It wasn't a bad pitch. The kid kind of tomahawked it; she definitely earned it."

However, Tech then exploded for four runs on three hits, one error and four stolen bases in the top of the third inning. Krieg drew a one-out walk and scored on an RBI single by Frandrup to centerfield, tying the score at 2-2.

Meghan Knowles then singled to put runners on first and second before both advanced a base on a wild pitch. Heather Doiron then hit a ball back to the Ole Miss pitcher, who committed a fielding error allowing Frandrup to score from third, giving Tech a 3-2 lead.

Goza then singled, plating Knowles and putting runners on first and third with one out. After Allie Geisler struck out for the second out, Goza and Doiron pulled off a double steal as Doiron crossed home plate with Tech's fifth run of the game and a 5-2 lead.

"Their catcher was having some issues throwing," Dawson said. "We were probably more aggressive than we would normally be. On the double steal, Heather went on her own when she saw the throw made. I like that. When you are playing with your instincts, that's a good mentality to have. It just goes back to cutting it loose and playing ball."

Ole Miss continued to battle and had numerous opportunities for some big innings. In the bottom of the fourth, the Rebels loaded the bases with one out. However, Jones induced a pop up by the Ole Miss leadoff batter for the second out of the inning.

Jones then appeared to get out of the inning by inducing a ground ball to short stop but Emma Eichmann committed an error, allowing a runner to score and keeping the frame alive. Jones then got the three hole hitter RT Cantillo to ground back to her for the third out of the inning as Tech held a 5-3 advantage.

Kipp relieved Jones in the bottom of the fifth inning as the Rebels appeared ready to put a big inning together. After already plating one run to cut the lead to 5-4, Ole Miss had the bases loaded and one out when Erinn Jayjohn hit a line drive to the right side that Doiron snared out of the air and tagged the runner for a double play to end the threat.

"It was a very hard hit line drive that Heather had to jump up and grab," Dawson said. "She made a great play on it. The runner wasn't that far off the base but the ball led Heather towards first base so when she caught it she just tagged the kid."

Tech added an insurance run in the top of the seventh inning as Knowles led off with a double to right field. Christina Gamboa then pinch ran for Knowles and scored on a one-out single by Goza to left field, giving Tech a 6-4 lead.

Kipp retired the first two batters in the bottom of the seventh before back-to-back singles brought the game-winning run to the plate in the form of Jayjohn. However, Kipp got Jayjohn to pop up to shortstop to end the game as Tech snapped a four-game losing streak.

"I really thought that both Michelle and Erin did a nice job," Dawson said. "They gave their defense balls they could handle and defensively we played pretty well behind them."

Jones (2-1) got the win, allowing four runs - three earned - on six hits and three walks in 4.0 innings of work while Kipp picked up her first career save, scattering five hits over the final 3.0 innings of action.

Goza and Knowles each recorded two hits while Krieg, Frandrup, Geisler and Jones each registered one hit.

In the first game of the day, South Alabama plated five runs with two outs in the bottom of the fifth inning to blow open a close game and defeat the Lady Techsters 8-0.

Tech managed only two hits in the game - one by Knowles and one by Goza - while the Jaguars (8-3) banged out 10 hits against Lady Techster ace Meghan Krieg.

Krieg (1-5) took the loss, allowing eight runs - seven earned - one 11hits and four walks while striking out seven in 4.2 innings of action.

"South Alabama is a really good hitting team," Dawson said. "We knew that coming in. We knew they had probably the toughest lineup here. Meghan made them miss a lot; she had seven strikeouts. However, they connected on some too. She didn't pitch poorly. She kept her head up and kept fighting.

"I was disappointed in us offensively. We were pathetic. It was uninspiring to say the least. That's why it was so good to see the kids respond to our challenge in the second game and come through."

Tech returns to action Saturday when they face SEMO at 9 a.m. and Western Kentucky at 1 p.m.