Texas Tech Athletics
Maine
Softball Off to Best Start
February 20, 2010 | Softball
Feb. 20, 2010
LUBBOCK, Texas - Karli Merlich collected a pair of wins as Texas Tech beat Maine, 5-0, and UMKC, 5-4, to advance to 8-1 on the season, the best start in program history. For Merlich, it was her third win in less than 24 hours as the left-hander came on with the score tied in the eighth of the UMKC game and then stymied Maine in the nightcap.
Here's how the day unfolded: Maine and UMKC played the day's first game, with UMKC evening the series, 7-5. Tech and Missouri-Kansas City played back-and-forth battle, with the score tied, 4-4 in regulation. The international tiebreaker was employed in the eighth (a runner is placed at second to begin the inning). Merlich came on in relief of Hillary Phillips, who had split time with starter Ashly Jacobs, with bases loaded and no one out to fan a pair of Kangaroo hitters and induce a ground ball out.
Tech came up in their half of the inning and scored the game-winning run on a double by catcher Holley Gentsch, to give the Red Raiders the win and Merlich her second win of the tournament, as she beat UMKC in the final game on Friday.
Drawing the start, Merlich got solid run support as the Red Raiders jumped out with four runs in the first and neither the southpaw nor her team ever looked back. Tech added a run in the second to finish the scoring early.
Offensively, Tech highlights included five hits from Stephanie Drewry on the day, including a double and a run batted in, four from Emily Bledsoe, including a home run and a triple versus Maine, and four hits and four runs batted in from Gentsch. Raven Richardson collected a pair of hits in the game with Maine, scored a run and knocked in another. The Red Raiders got 11 hits each game, but it was Merlich's performance in the circle which drew most attention. On the day, she allowed only two hits, struck out six, walked no one and pitched eight full innings of shut out softball.
All three teams are back in action tomorrow as Maine and the Red Raiders meet at 8:30 a.m. (it's true) in the morning's first game and then UMKC and Tech will finish with a noon start time. (Both Tech-UMKC games have been determined by a run, so fans are encouraged to arrive early and stay until the final out!)
Note: The Game Tracker feature was not reliable during today's events. We apologize for inconvenience caused by 3G malfunctions or operator error. We will endeavor to bring you all the action again tomorrow.
