Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
McNeese State
McNeese State Shuts Out Texas Tech, 5-0
February 27, 2015 | Softball
Susan Welborn connected on one of two hits for Texas Tech Friday night as the Red Raiders fell to McNeese State, 5-0.
Feb. 27, 2015
Vincent (5-1) struck out five of the first six hitters she faced, including all three Red Raiders (9-8) in the top of the first. Her 10 strikeouts marked the most for a Tech opponent this season.
The shutout was the second one tossed against the Red Raiders on the day as Drake held Tech to just one hit over five innings. Tech had not previously been shut out in back-to-back games since Creighton and Sam Houston State did so on Feb. 22-28 last year.
Vincent limited Tech to just two hits, the first coming off a one-out double from Susan Welborn in the third inning. Brittany Warnecke recorded Tech's only other hit with a two-out single in the fourth.
The Red Raiders put only five runners on base against Vincent, three of which that came in the fourth inning after Ashley Fultz followed Warnecke's single with a two-out walk to load the bases.
Vincent struck out Lea Hopson to escape the jam and then proceeded to retire nine of the final 10 batters to come to the plate. Fultz was the only Red Raider to reach base during that stretch as she recorded her second walk of the game in the seventh.
McNeese State (11-5), meanwhile, plated a run in each of the first two innings off Tech starter Cara Custer (4-5), who took the loss in a complete-game effort. Custer allowed all five runs, four of which that were earned, off eight hits and five walks over six innings.
Vincent helped her own cause in the opening inning by driving in McNeese's first run as she sent a sacrifice fly to left field that was just deep enough to allow leadoff hitter Hailey Drew to beat Welborn's throw to the plate.
Drew led the Cowgirls at the plate, going 2-for-3 overall with two RBI after plating a run off a single in the fourth and then adding a sacrifice fly in the sixth. Her second RBI scored Taylor Goree, who similarly finished 2-for-3 with a RBI single in the fourth inning as well.
The Red Raiders will look to bounce back in another doubleheader Saturday as Tech will face Memphis in a 12 p.m. first pitch before battling McNeese State again in a 3 p.m. start.
