Texas Tech University Athletics
Texas Tech Athletics
Seattle University
Red Raiders Drop Seattle U With 8-4 Victory
March 18, 2015 | Softball
Lea Hopson matched her career high with three hits Wednesday night in Texas Tech's 8-4 victory over Seattle University.
March 18, 2015
Hopson finished 3-for-4 to lead the Red Raiders (16-15) at the plate as she was Tech's catalyst in both the second and sixth innings with leadoff singles and then drove in the final run with a RBI single in the seventh.
Hopson, who was playing roughly 70 miles from her hometown of Sequim, Washington, matched her career high with three hits while also stealing her seventh base of the season and 28th of her career, moving her into a tie for eighth all-time in program history in the process.
Custer, meanwhile, mainly kept the Seattle U (9-18) bats quiet throughout the night as she surrendered four runs, three of which that were earned, off five hits and five strikeouts in her fourth-consecutive complete game performance.
Seattle U recorded four of its five hits off Custer (9-8) in the third through fifth innings where the Redhawks plated all four of their runs, beginning with a Rose Saenz solo home run that led off the third. Custer recovered, though, to retire the final eight hitters she faced.
Custer, a native of Tacoma, Washington, benefited from early run support as Tech plated five runs in the second, two of which that came from the first of two Devon Thomey doubles. Thomey scored both Hopson and Susan Welborn on the play that also saw Jordan Bettiol come across following a Seattle U throwing error.
Ashley Fultz capped the second with a solo home run to center field, her fifth of the season. She was one of two Red Raiders to homer, joining Brittany Warnecke, who crushed a two-run blast in the sixth inning.
Warnecke's home run was her fourth of the season as she essentially erased a three-run bottom of the fifth by Seattle U that had cut Tech's lead to just one run. Tech has now connected on seven home runs in its last three games.
All five of Tech's runs in the second went unearned to Seattle U starter Mandie Sugita (6-5), who took the loss after allowing seven runs, two of which that were earned, off seven hits and four strikeouts over six full innings. Alyssa Reuble gave up one run off four hits in her one inning of relief.
Thomey drilled a leadoff double to start Reuble's outing in the seventh as she finished 2-for-3 overall, marking the 14th-straight game she has reached base which matches the longest streak for a Red Raider this season.
Kierra Miles also went 2-for-4 at the plate for her 10th multiple-hit game this season and her fifth in the past six games. She is 7-for-10 in Tech's last three games combined.
The Red Raiders continue their trip to the Greater Northwest on Thursday evening as Tech will face No. 18 Washington in a 7 p.m. CT doubleheader at the Husky Softball Stadium.
