Saturday, February 16, 2008

Texas Woman’s softball drops three in Arizona

By Pegasus News wire

The Texas Woman’s University Pioneers lost 7-6 in eight-innings to the Washburn University Lady Blues on Friday morning in their final game of pool play in the Schutt Sports Division II Lead-Off Classic in Phoenix, Arizona.

The Lady Blues used two home runs, a grand slam in the first inning and a solo shot later on in the game, to jump out to a 6-1 lead in second-ever meeting between TWU and WU. The Pioneers would rally, eventually tying the score at six in the top of the sixth inning. After a scoreless seventh inning, the Pioneers appeared poised to take the lead in the top of the eighth inning when they had the bases loaded and just one out. Unfortunately for TWU, both of their next two batters - sophomore outfielder Billie Callahan and junior right fielder Kayla Behrle - were called out on strikes. Washburn then wasted little time ending the game, scoring a run in the bottom of the eighth inning to claim the narrow victory.

Late Friday night, in their first game of bracket play, TWU dropped a 1-0 decision to Quincy University. Tori Bunzell, Quincy’s freshman pitcher, kept the Pioneers off the scoreboard with a complete-game, two-hit, six-strikeout effort. Despite loading the bases twice against Bunzell, and having runners on second and third on two more occasions, TWU was unable to put any runs across the plate. Pitcher Carly Case had another excellent game in the defeat for TWU. Case threw seven strong innings, and the only run she allowed came in the top of the second inning on a solo home run by Quincy’s senior utility infielder, Audra Heimer. TWU centerfielder Tiffanie Boone tracked down Heimer’s deep blast to centerfield, but, as Boone leaped to catch the ball, her momentum carried her over the outfield fence, forcing the umpire to rule the play as a home run.

TWU lost an elimination game to Cal State San Bernadino on Saturday morning by an 8-0 score. Case had a difficult game in the circle for the Pioneers as she allowed three home runs in seven innings of work. The TWU bats were silent for the second game in a row as they failed to generate any runs against CSSB pitching.

TWU head coach Randy Porter said a lack of clutch hitting really hurt his team in the tournament.

“We just couldn’t get that one hit we needed that would have given us some runs. Time and time again we put runners on base, but then we didn’t knock them in. These girls are scratching and clawing, but, unfortunately, we’re just not coming up with the big hits when we need them,” he explained.

TWU (3-12) will be on the road again next week when they travel to Arkadelphia, Arkansas for six games at Henderson State University. On Thursday, February 21, the Pioneers will take on Henderson State in an afternoon doubleheader. Friday and Saturday, February 22 and 23, TWU will participate in the round-robin Henderson State University Tournament with HSU and Texas A&M University-Kingsville.

Source: TWU

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