Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
Arkansas
Tech Splits Twinbill With Arkansas
February 25, 2001 | Softball
Feb. 25, 2001
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - The Texas Tech softball team split a pair of one-run games against Arkansas Sunday afternoon, winning 2-1 in eight innings before dropping a 1-0 decision in the third and final game of the day for the Red Raiders at The Morning News Invitational hosted by the University of Arkansas.
Senior Amanda Renfro was named MVP of the tournament after throwing 26.1 innings, striking out 33 and allowing just one earned run for a 0.29 ERA. Teammates Sandy Butler and Shauna Briggs were also named to the all-tournament squad. Butler went 4-for-12 with two runs and two RBI, while Briggs was 3-for-11 with three RBI.
Tech got on the board in the top of the first when Tracey Cartier beat out an infield single and advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt from Sandy Butler. Shauna Briggs then walked and both runners moved up on a groundout by Carmen Grindell. Cartier scored on a passed ball to give the Red Raiders an early 1-0 advantage.
The Lady Razorbacks came back to tie the contest in the bottom half of the frame. Tiffany Woolley had a one-out single to right followed by a walk to Danica Howlett. Cortney Mitchell then doubled down the left field line, plating Woolley. The run was the first earned run allowed by Tech starter Amanda Renfro on the weekend, a span of almost 17 innings.
The Red Raiders had an opportunity to take the lead again in the second after Britney Stolle and Andrea Joachims both singled to start the inning. But Tiffany Harrington failed to get the bunt down and Rebecca Eimen's line drive was stabbed out of the air by UA second baseman Mitchell.
After a two-out walk to Cartier loaded the bases, Mitchell quickly fielded and threw out speedy Butler at first to end the inning and the threat.
Both teams threatened in the latter innings, but neither could push across the potential winning run and the teams headed to the tiebreaker rule in the eighth.
Cartier started at second in the eighth and went to third on a wild pitch. Butler beat out an infield single before Briggs grounded deep in the hole between short and third. Cartier scored on the infield single, and Butler and Briggs moved up to second and third when UA shortstop Tiffany Woolley's throw to the plate was wild.
But the Red Raiders failed to push across any more runs, as the next three batters struck out.
Arkansas began the inning with Danica Howlett at second. Howlett moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Lauren Hendrix before Cortney Mitchell was intentionally walked. Renfro then struck out Rachel Talley and Kim Eiben to end the contest, preserving the 2-1 victory.
Renfro (8-5) picked up the victory, her third against one defeat in the tourney, striking out six and walking three in eight innings while allowing just six hits. Talley (2-3) suffered the loss, the third of three Lady `Back hurlers, giving up one unearned run on two hits in two innings of work with five strikeouts.
In the second game, neither team could muster much offense against the two starters, Tech's Maggie Ayres and UA's Heather Schlichtman. Arkansas loaded the bases in the second courtesy of a pair of walks and a hit batter, but Ayres got a groundout from Stephanie Hunter to end the inning.
The Red Raiders got two on in the fourth after UA shortstop Lauren Hendrix made back-to-back errors. But Ashley Ready struck out to end the frame.
The Lady `Backs did get on the board in the fifth after Hunter was hit by a pitch with one out. Tiffany Johnson's grounder to first rolled up the arm of Tech's Carmen Grindell and into right field, putting runners on the corners.
Ayres fielded Cortney Mitchell's grounder back to the mound and got Hunter caught off third. Ayres threw to Ready at third, but Ready's throw to the plate hit Hunter in the back, allowing the first run of the contest to cross the plate.
Tech never got anything else going against Schlichtman, who struck out six and allowed just one hit, an Eimen single in the third.
Ayres (0-1) took the loss in her longest outing of the season, five plus innings. She allowed an unearned run, walked five and struck out four.
The Red Raiders return to action Saturday, March 3, with a doubleheader in Las Cruces, N.M., versus New Mexico State at 2 & 4 p.m.
