April 16, 2011

Box Score

RUSTON - Janna Frandrup pitched a complete-game shutout and Kendra Harmon hit her first home run of the season to lead Louisiana Tech a 1-0 win over Hawaii and a split of a Western Athletic Conference doubleheader Saturday afternoon at the Lady Techster Softball Complex.

Hawaii (30-13, 8-4 WAC) won the first game of the day 4-0 and took two out of three in the series after Friday night's 6-0 victory.

Tech (12-30, 3-9 WAC) snapped its six-game losing streak with the win, an improbable one after the Rainbow Wahine - a College World Series participant last year - defeated the Lady Techsters ace Meghan Krieg in the first two games.

Head coach Sarah Dawson gave Frandrup her first start in the circle of the year in the second game Saturday and the Phoenix, Arizona native responded, tossing her first career shutout while holding the high-power Hawaii offense to only six hits.

"She came in (in relief of game one) and was effective in the last inning," Dawson said. "So we thought we would start her and have Erin (Kipp) and Michelle (Jones) ready for relief. She was really effective against them. Hawaii is an aggressive hitting team so it was a good matchup for her.

"When you have an aggressive team, Janna uses her movement and off-speed to be successful. She lets the batters get themselves out with their aggressiveness. I thought she had good command of her pitches. She didn't have any walks. She nibbled on the corners and used her changeup effectively."

Hawaii left runners on base in six of its seven at bats. In the top of the second inning, back-to-back two-out singles put runners on first and second but Frandrup induced a fly ball out by Alex Aguirre to Harmon in right field to end the frame.

While Frandrup was keeping Hawaii hitters in check, UH starter Stephanie Ricketts was in control as well, limiting the Lady Techsters to only two singles through the first five innings.

However, Harmon took the first pitch she saw from Ricketts in the bottom of the sixth inning deep over the right field wall for her first home run of the season, giving Tech a 1-0 advantage.

"I'm really proud of Kendra," Dawson said. "She had a great day at the plate for us. Over the last week in batting practice she has really started to show a little more pop. She's isn't big in stature and she makes her living with singles. However, there are a couple of areas in the strike zone where she can really turn on it. She went to the plate with a fighters mentality and got a pitch she could drive."

The `Bows wouldn't go quietly in the top of the seventh as Dara Pagaduan and Aguirre registered back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second - bringing UH leadoff hitter Kelly Majam to the plate.

After a visit by Dawson to the circle to talk to Frandrup, Majam lined the first pitch she saw to shortstop where Michelle Jones leaped into the air to make the grab and throw to first to double Aguirre off the base for the final out of the game.

"It is a huge win for us not only in the (WAC) standings but from a confidence standpoint," Dawson said. "We played Fresno close a couple of times. However, you can't always walk away with moral victories; you have to walk away with wins. It feels good to walk away saying we found a way to win."

Frandrup (1-2) picked up her first win of the year, allowing six hits and no walks while striking out three in the 7.0 innings of work.

Allie Geisler led Tech with two hits while Harmon and Frandrup each registered one.

In the first game of the day, Hawaii starter Kaia Parnaby pitched a complete-game four-hit shutout while tying her career-high with 12 strikeouts to lead the Bows to a 4-0 win.

Tech's best chance to get to the sophomore hurler came in the first inning when Harmon singled, advanced to second on an illegal pitch and to third on a wild pitch. One batter later Frandrup walked and then stole second base to put runners on second and third with one out.

However, Parnaby struck out Geisler and Heather Doiron to end the threat.

Hawaii scored one in the second inning on a two-out single by Majam and then added a two-out, two-run home run by Jenna Rodriguez in the third to take a 3-0 lead.

The Lady Techsters had another opportunity in the bottom of the third loading the bases with a Harmon single and walks to Wilson and Geisler, but Doiron struck out swinging to end the frame.

Tech starter Meghan Krieg struggled with her control, issuing a career-high 10 walks. However, the Sonora, Texas native did an admirable job pitching around the walks scattering six hits while striking out seven.

Offensively, Tech was led by Harmon who tied her career-high with three hits while Christina Gamboa added one hit.

Tech returns to action next weekend with a three-game series in Las Cruces against New Mexico State.