Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
Utah St
Red Raiders Get Victory Over Utah State, 6-4
February 11, 2001 | Softball
Feb. 11, 2001
PHOENIX, Ariz. - The Texas Tech softball team overcame a three-run deficit to defeat Utah State, 6-4, Sunday morning in the Red Raiders final game of the Fiesta Bowl Classic.
The Red Raiders fell behind 4-1 in the second inning before tying the contest in the fourth and pushing across the deciding runs in the seventh for the victory.
Tech got on the board in the first after Tracy Cartier beat out an infield single with one out. Cartier stole second, went to third when the catcher's throw sailed into centerfield, and scored when the centerfielder could not control the ball in the outfield.
But Utah State came back in the second to score four runs on four hits. The Aggies got a leadoff walk from Breanne Nickle and a single by Aimee Johnson to put runners on the corners. Casey Smith followed with a RBI single. Johnson was then picked off trying to take third, but Shannon Acevedo and Christina Conrad both singled to load the bases.
Danielle Rodriguez reached on a fielder's choice, as Tech first baseman Carmen Grindell's throw to home for the force was not in time. Jen Hopkins then walked to force in a run, and Tech coach Bobby Reeves was forced to make a pitching change, bringing in senior Amanda Renfro.
Renfro got Heather Curtis to fly out, but the ball was deep enough to score Conrad from third for a 4-1 Aggie advantage.
The Red Raider bats finally came alive in the fourth. Eva Harshman drew a one-out walk, and Grindell reached on a fielder's choice with Harshman safe at second when Curtis dropped the throw for the force out.
Shauna Briggs then laced a double down the left field line to score both runners, and moved to third on the throw to the plate. Andrea Joachims followed with an infield single to deep short, scoring Briggs to knot the game at four.
The seventh saw pinch-hitter Ashley Ready lead off with a single to left, followed by singles to right from Sandy Butler and Cartier. Harshman's hard grounder to short went off the shoulder of Curtis and into short center, allowing both runners to score for the final margin of victory.
Renfro (4-3) came in to get the win, pitching 5.2 innings of shutout relief with nine strikeouts and allowing just five hits. Butler went 3-for-4 in the contest, and Cartier had two hits and Briggs added two RBI.
Tech plays February 16-18 in Norman, Okla., at the OU adidas Classic, facing Creighton, Tulsa, Wichita State, UT-San Antonio and the host Sooners in the three-day event.
