Texas Tech Athletics
Kansas
Late Bid Falls a Run Short
May 22, 2010 | Softball
May 22, 2010
PALO ALTO, Calif. - After spotting No. 15 Stanford a four run lead, Tech scores three in the top of the sixth, but can't score another and falls to the host, 5-4, in opening round play at the NCAA Regionals. With the loss Tech moves into the loser's bracket and will face UC Davis tomorrow afternoon at 5 p.m. (CT) to keep its postseason hopes alive.
"I thought we pitched good but not great and hit good but not great. If we'd have started getting those quality at bats earlier in the game, like we did in the later innings, we maybe change the complexion of the game," head coach Shanon Hays said following the contest.
Emily Bledsoe led the offense with a pair of hits and Tech got a leadoff single to start the game from Leah Legler, who also finished with a pair of runs batted in, but really most of the offense came in the late innings with the team in a deep hole.
Senior Ashly Jacobs took the loss for the Red Raiders and moves to 14-9 on the season.
"I thought Ashly pitched OK, really, she made some great pitches in the opening inning but then fell behind in the second when Haber hit that first bomb," Hays said at the post-game press conference. "I was pleased with how Ashley Brokeshoulder came in and got ahead of batters, but gave up the one long ball (to Jenna Bacera) in the fifth because the pitch got too far in the zone."
Logan Hall, Holley Gentsch, Raven Richardson and Ashley Hamada each tallied hits on the evening for the Red Raiders and both teams had some spectacular defensive plays to keep every thing even and the crowd of 715 entertained.
Hawai'i, the region's No. 1 seed, will face Stanford, the No. 2 seed at the region despite having a higher national ranking than the Rainbow Wahine, play the winner's bracket game at 2 p.m. (CT) with the loser facing the winner of the Tech/Davis matchup tomorrow night.
All games at the region will continue to be Webcast live and streamed via the All-Access feature of the Web site.
