Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
Stanford
Tech Drops Close Decision to Stanford, Crushes Cougars
March 09, 2008 | Softball
March 9, 2008
STANFORD, Calif. - No. 7 Stanford (26-2) stole a close 3-1 victory over Texas Tech, but the Red Raiders responded with a 11-0 thumping of the College of Charleston (9-17) Saturday night at the Stanford Classic.
Tech now stands 4-17 on the season, with 12 losses coming at the hands of teams that are either ranked in the Top 25 or receiving votes in the poles.
It was a pitcher's duel early on against the Cardinal as Alex Watkins and Stanford ace Missy Penna allowed just one hit apiece while breezing the other's lineups through the first three innings. Montana Patin broke the silence in the top of the fourth with a long blast over the center field wall for her second homerun of the year to give Tech a 1-0 lead.
The Cardinal fought back in the bottom of the fourth with a pair of runs on two-out singles to take the 2-1 advantage. They added their final run on another two-out single in the next inning. Penna continued to be tough through the next two innings, not allowing the Red Raiders to get a hit.
Megan Shupp opened up the seventh with a triple to center field, but it would come to naught as Penna struck out the final three hitters to let Stanford sneak away with the win.
Patin finished 1-3 with her homer and RBI to lead the way for the Red Raiders, while Shupp was 1-1 and Jennifer Lee was 1-3. Watkins (0-1) was saddled with the loss despite giving up just four hits to the Cardinal's high-powered offense.
Tech rebounded in a huge way to start game two as the Red Raiders put two runs across in the top of the fourth. Legler started things by getting hit by a pitch and stealing second. She came across a few pitches later on a wild play that began with a Devin Zaragoza single and ended with an error on the College of Charleston shortstop and Zaragoza advancing all the way to third. She came in a short time later on a ground out by Patin.
Zaragoza haunted the Cougars again in the second when she hit a big two-out double that scored Elizabeth Eimen and Robyn Wike. The Red Raiders added two more runs in the third on a Cougar error. Zaragoza singled to start the fourth and went to third on a double from Jennifer Corkin. They both came in on a two-run single from Shupp. Tech tacked three more runs on the board in the fifth and shut the door on CofC to take the 11-0 run-rule win.
Tech recorded 11 hits for the contest with Zaragoza pacing the Red Raiders by going 3-3 with two RBI. Patin finished 1-4 with a double and three RBI, while Corkin and Elizabeth Eimen each added two hits. Shupp contributed two RBI and Ashly Jacobs (1-6) scattered just three hits in four shutout innings to record the win.
The Red Raiders will take on the Cougars again tomorrow morning at 12 p.m. CT as they wrap up the Stanford Classic. Fans can follow the action via www.texastech.com.
