Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
Missouri
Red Raider Offense Comes Alive to Defeat No. 18 Missouri
February 18, 2006 | Softball
Feb. 18, 2006
TUCSON, Ariz. - The Red Raider softball team's offense, which had been sluggish in the first two games of the Worth Wildcat Classic, exploded in Saturday's first game, pounding out a season-high 12 hits, 10 for extra bases, to defeat Big 12 rival No. 18 Missouri 8-3. Texas Tech was back in action later in the day and fell to tournament host No. 3 Arizona, 6-0.
After falling behind 1-0 in the first inning, the Red Raiders started the scoring in the top half of the second frame. After sophomore right fielder Whitney Riley led the inning off with a sharp double down the left field line, junior shortstop Heather Parker stepped to the plate and slammed her first home run of the season high over the wall in left center field, putting Tech up 2-1.
After Missouri knotted the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the second, the Red Raider bats remained hot in the third inning, with a runner on and two outs in the frame, Heather Parker again connected on an offering from Tiger starter Megan Dennis, driving the pitch over the fence down the left field line for her second long ball of the contest. Junior third baseman Natalie Kula continued the offensive assault, singling in the next at bat and coming around to score on a RBI single by junior centerfielder Ashley Parker, who herself plated the Red Raiders' sixth run of the game on a RBI double by pinch hitter Kristin Healy.
Junior Brandy Moulin got in on the act in the fourth inning, leading off the frame with a triple to left field and scoring two batters later on a RBI groundout by freshman Brooke Neuman. Redshirt freshman left fielder Montana Patin also chipped in to the Red Raiders' offensive efforts with a RBI double in the sixth inning.
Senior pitcher Erin Crawford picked up the win in the contest, tossing a complete game and limiting the Tigers to only three runs, while striking out seven.
