Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
New Mexico St
Lady Raider Softball Slams NMSU 15-6, 12-3
February 13, 2003 | Softball
Feb. 12, 2003
LAS CRUCES, New Mexico - The Lady Raider softball team downed the New Mexico State Aggies in both games of a doubleheader this evening in Las Cruces, N.M. The team tallied 14 hits in game one and 13 in game two and improved to 5-7.
To kick off game one, Elyssa Sigala, who was 3 of 6 on the night, would single down the center to score Shayne Gipson from third for the first run of the game. Amanda Douglas, who was a nearly perfect four of five in game one, came to bat with bases loaded, after two consecutive Lady Raider walks, to slam a three-run double. The Lady Raiders would end their half of the inning with four runs, going through the complete batting order.
At the top of the second, a foul out by Sigala would send her back to the dug out but a throwing Aggie error would advance Kristi Robles, who logged four runs for the night, to second and Esmerelda Perez to home. A long double to center field by Kelly Rhyne, a NMSU transfer, would send Robles home leaving the score, 6-0 heading into the third.
Tech would get its first of two double plays on the day, when Devon Melby grounded to first and was put out at first. The ball would then be thrown behind third where Rhyne rushed in from left field to throw the runner out at home.
The fourth was the inning for homers with Kristi Robles slamming her third home run of the season. With Sigala on base after being hit by a pitch and Joachims on after a fielders choice single, Douglas would step up to bat and responding with a three-run homerun. Douglas tallied six hits and 8 RBI in this two-game series.
The fifth saw a strong double by Rhyne, who went three for four in game one, to score Robles and put Sigala on third. Douglas on a full count would, for the third time in the game, hit a two-run double. Last season, Douglas recorded five doubles and now not even into conference play she is sitting at five.
The Aggie bats would get hot in the fifth with the squad getting six runs. With two outs and bases loaded, Christine Stevens would knock out a grand slam. NMSU got another big hit when Kristen Grow knocked out a two-run home run. A wild pitch and a runner walked in left the score at 15-6 and with no runs scored by the Aggies in the sixth, the game was called on the run rule. Blair (2-2) went six complete innings giving up no earned runs and walking no one.
Tech and NMSU turned right around and began their second game in the misty weather of New Mexico. Crawford (2-2) in her first inning walked two but the squad would allow no hits or runs in the first. Arlene Newton logged her first double and RBI of the season, hitting a long single to center. Next up on Tech' homerun list was Tiffany Harrington who slammed a two-run homerun, her first of the season. Gipson, who was 3-3 in stolen bases, stole home and a Sigala double would score Robles.
Andrea Joachims led off the Lady Raiders in the third, hitting her first double of the season. Next up was Douglas, who slammed her second home run of the day. Gipson's speed would turn her slap a hit in the whole, into a double while Britney Stolle, making her first appearance since the SWT/Century Tel Classic due to a dislocated finger, hit a two RBI single leaving the Lady Raiders with a 10-0 advantage heading into the bottom of the third. The Aggies earned their first hit on a single to left center field, leaving the bases loaded. They scored three runs off two hits including a double and single.
Amie Stines came in at the bottom of the fifth to relieve Crawford, who pitched four complete innings and struck out three batters. Tech would keep NMSU scoreless for the remainder of the game, handing the Aggies their second loss of the day, 12-3.
Tech will continue play this weekend when they travel to Las Vegas, Nev., for the UNLV Classic. Tech will take on UNLV, Purdue, Cal-State Fullerton, Cal-State Riverside and California.
