Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
UT Arlington
Custer Tosses Shutout to Drop UT-Arlington in Home Debut
March 02, 2012 | Softball
March 2, 2012
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LUBBOCK, Texas - Cara Custer tossed her third shutout of the season and Texas Tech got just enough offense to top UT-Arlington, 2-0, Friday afternoon in the first-day finale of the Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic at Rocky Johnson Field.
The win pushes Tech (13-5) to an undefeated start to the weekend tournament as the Red Raiders dropped Binghamton, 7-2, earlier in the day. UT-Arlington, meanwhile, split its games after the Mavericks (9-5) also defeated the Bearcats, 6-2, in the tournament opener.
"We had good pitching in both games today," Tech head coach Shanon Hays said. "I thought Brittany Talley and then Cara Custer both came out and gave us solid outings and we got enough offense to beat two quality teams. We'll need to keep it rolling, though, because both of these squads are very talented as well."
After a scoreless top of the first, Mikey Kenney gave Tech a lead it would not relinquish thanks to a leadoff home run to left. The homer, Kenney's second of the day, marked the second time she had opened a game with a leadoff shot this season.
Logan Hall added Tech's final RBI a few batter later as she drooped a single just over the bag at second to score pinch runner Emily Cooper. Hall finished 2-for-3 for her first multiple-hit game of the season.
 Cara Custer  | |
Two runs were all Custer (8-3) would need as the freshman controlled the game from there, picking up her Big 12-leading eighth victory of the season in her first appearance in front of the home crowd.
The Mavericks totaled five hits off the right-hander, two of which that came in the first before Custer worked out of the jam with a Courtney Enocksen ground out to end the frame. Nine of Custer's 14 outs in the game that did not involve a strikeout came on the ground.
Erica LeFlore opened the fourth inning with a leadoff dpuble, only to be left on base as Custer picked up a ground out and two strikeouts to escape UTA's final threat of the game. Custer retired the final nine hitters in order over the last three innings.
Most importantly, Custer did not give away many free passes in the outing as she surrendered only one walk in seven innings. Between her performance and then Talley and Chandler Moore in the first game, Tech surrendered only walk on the day while not plunking any batters as well.
After a rough opening inning, UT-Arlington starter Teri Lyles (4-3) frustrated the Tech bats over the final six frames as she surrendered only four of her seven hits in the game during that span.
Tech put a runner in scoring position with one out or less in each of the final three innings. Lyles escaped the threat each time, though, as both teams finished with six runners left on base.
The Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic resumes Saturday morning with UT-Arlington and Binghamton playing at 10:30 a.m. Tech will face the Mavericks at 1 p.m. with its game against Binghamton scheduled to begin at 3:30 p.m.
