Red Raiders Surge Past No. 21 Fresno State, 9-6

Saturday, February 18

Puerto Vallarta, MX

5:00 PM

Texas Tech Athletics

6-4

Fresno State

6-4

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Texas Tech	0	0	2	3	2	2	0	9	8	0
Fresno State	0	0	4	0	0	2	0	6	8	1

Red Raiders Surge Past No. 21 Fresno State, 9-6

February 19, 2017 | Softball

Box Score PV Challenge Hub Photo Gallery

Tech finishes 3-2 at the event, four Red Raiders named to PV Challenge All-Tournament Team.

PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico – Texas Tech softball outscored No. 21 Fresno State 7-2 from the fourth inning on as the Red Raiders wrapped up their five-game week in Puero Vallarta, Mexico, with a 9-6 win over the Bulldogs.

With the victory, Tech finishes the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge 3-2 and sits at 6-4 overall. The win also seals the Red Raiders' first win over a ranked opponent since a 2-0 shutout of No. 22 California nearly a year ago to the day.

Fresno State (6-4) closes the week with a 2-3 mark, while Mississippi State (6-3) finished 3-1, Cal State Fullerton (4-5) was 3-2, and Florida Gulf Coast (5-4) 1-4.

"I thought we came in tonight with great composure," head coach Adrian Gregory said. "We were focused on playing our game. That is what we didn't do earlier in the day, but we came in determined to do that in the nightcap. It was fun to watch our kids get comfortable and have a little swag about them."

The scoring started in the third inning when a Bulldog error and Kiani Ramsey, who finished with three combined hits in two games Saturday, double pushed Tech to a 2-0 lead.

Fresno State, however responded with four runs in the bottom half of the frame to take a 4-2 lead.

Tech powered back in front in the fourth as senior Brittany Warnecke, who went 2-3, blasted a one-out double down the left field line to score Miles and a Bulldog error allowed Tech to regain the lead at 5-4.

The lead swelled in the fifth thanks to a two-run bomb to left field by sophomore Jessica Hartwell, her second home run and seventh RBI on the week.

The Red Raiders further padded their lead in the sixth when senior Devon Thomey, who compiled eight hits and seven RBI over five games, drove in two runs on an RBI single to centerfield to make it 9-4, which proved to be enough.

After a solid start from Mexico native Dominique Alcocer in the circle, senior Mattison Maisel came on in relief before freshman Kassidy Scott earned a save, the first of her career.

Alcocer received a loud ovation upon taking the circle. She finished with 2.2 innings pitched, giving up four earned runs, six hits a strikeout and two walks.

PV CLASSIC ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Tech was one of two teams who received four selections to the PV Challenge's All-Tournament Team along with Mississippi State.

Jessica Hartwell (So. – INF)
Raina O'Neal (Fr. – OF)
Kassidy Scott (Fr. – RHP)
Devon Thomey (Sr. – 1B/DP)

QUOTE OF THE NIGHT
Gregory on Alcocer's start in Mexico
"It has to be so hard. You're here in Mexico where you're from, you're wanting to perform well and the stadium is packed. You're facing our first ranked opponent and you get the start. She handled it so well. She handled it with so much grace. She was so calm and so confident. She did exactly what we needed her to do."

NOTES

The win is Tech's first over a ranked team since a 2-0 shutout of No. 22 California on Feb. 20, 2016.
Mexico City native Dominique Alcocer got the start in the circle in her native country.
Senior Kierra Miles reached base all four times in the game with a pair of singles and walks.
Senior Devon Thomey hit safely in all five games in Mexico with eight total and seven RBI.
Sophomore Jessica Hartwell's home run in the fifth was her second in Mexico and second in 2017.
Senior Brittany Warnecke's double in the third was her first of the season, third hit overall and fourth RBI. She went on to blast a second double in the sixth inning.
Senior Sarah Weber made her first start of the season.
Freshman Kassidy Scott recorded her first save of her career.

UP NEXT
Texas Tech travels for the third straight week to start the season, this time to Tuscaloosa, Ala., for the Easton Bama Bash. The Red Raiders open the event with a doubleheader Friday, Feb. 24, against Gardner-Webb and No. 4 Alabama starting at 11 a.m. CT.