Texas Tech University Athletics
Softball Heads Back to California for Tournament Action
March 02, 2006 | Softball
March 2, 2006
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LUBBOCK, Texas - After posting an impressive showing against some very stiff competition at the Palm Springs Classic last weekend, the Texas Tech softball team will return to the West Coast this weekend as they head to Fullerton, Calif., to participate in the Worth Invitational.
The field at the tournament will again be a tough test for the Red Raiders, as they attempt to seek out some of the country's best softball competition during the early season to prepare themselves for play in the Big 12 conference. Texas Tech will face Georgia, UC-Davis, Tennessee, Northwestern and tournament host Cal-State Fullerton at the event. Both Tennessee and Georgia enter the weekend ranked highly ranked this season with the Volunteers owning the No. 2 and No. 3 spot in the ESPN/USA Softball Top 25 and NFCA Top 25 polls, respectively, while Georgia checks in at No. 11 and No. 12 in the weekly rankings.
In the circle last weekend, the Red Raiders got a pair of outstanding performances from their two senior pitchers, Erin Crawford and Julie Hauck. Crawford earned her third win of the season in the opener of the Palm Springs Classic, tossing a three-hit complete game shutout victory over the Maryland Terrapins. The next day it was Hauck's turn to blank a Red Raider opponent, as the Yukon, Okla., native limited UNLV to no runs on only four hits to lift Tech to a 5-0 win.
Junior third baseman Natalie Kula, who had been slumping at the plate in the Red Raiders' first two tournaments of the season, turned her game up a notch in Palm Springs, batting .375 at the event to lift her season batting average significantly. Redshirt freshman Montana Patin drove in four runs at the event to bring her team-leading total up to eight. The Houston, Texas, native provided the bulk of the Tech offense in the win over Maryland, driving in all three Red Raider runs with a two-run double and a RBI single.
Head Coach Teresa Wilson will rejoin the team on the road this weekend after missing last weekend's action.
