Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
Kentucky
Lady Raider Softball Takes the Meow Out of Wildcats
February 22, 2003 | Softball
Feb. 22, 2003
HOUSTON, Texas - In its second game of the day at the Houston Invitational, the Lady Raider softball squad handed the Kentucky Wildcats a 5-4 loss.
The Wildcats would get things going at the bottom of the first with a single by Rachel Friberg, which would give her an RBI, scoring Nikki Jones.
Three consecutive Lady Raider singles by Shayne Gipson, Elyssa Sigala, and Kelly Rhyne, going 2-for-4 against the Wildcats, loaded the bases when Andrea Joachims came up to the plate. Joachims, going 2-for-3, cleared the bases with a three-RBI double to right field, giving the team their first lead of the day. A line drive to right center by Lisa Lawler, who was 3-for-4 against Kentucky, gave her an RBI, scoring Joachims. The Wildcats' half of the third consisted of two pop-ups and a strikeout.
In the bottom of the fourth, Kristina Blair, in her first appearance of the tournament, would come in to relieve Crawford. In three innings pitched, Crawford gave up one earned run and faced 13 batters. The first six batters Blair faced landed on base, but the team allowed the Wildcats to log only one two runs.
In the sixth, Esmerelda Perez landed on first on an error and was pushed around to third on a single hit in the hole by Gipson, who was a near perfect 3-for-4. With two outs on the board, Sigala, who finished the game 2-for-3, stepped up to line down the right field line scoring Perez and giving Tech a 5-3 lead into the bottom of the sixth.
Amie Stines, in her second appearance of the day, took over for Blair who faced nine batters and gave up no runs. The Wildcats would score one run in the sixth leaving the score in close 5-4 status. Tech did not turn in any runs in the seventh but did turn in win, with a 5-4 finish. Blair (3-3) walked away with a win and Stines earned her first save of the year. Tech (7-12) will next take on the Oregon Ducks at 3 p.m.
