Tech Falls in Slugfest to Saint Francis

Friday, March 17

Lubbock, TX

6:30 PM

Texas Tech Athletics

13-12

Saint Francis

22-8

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Saint Francis	0	0	4	4	0	2	0	2	12	10	3
Texas Tech	0	5	3	1	0	1	0	0	10	14	2

Tech Falls in Slugfest to Saint Francis

March 17, 2017 | Softball

Box Score Tournament Hub

Red Raiders return to the rock Saturday for a doubleheader against East Carolina and SFU starting at 4:00 p.m.

LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas Tech recorded a season-high 14 hits and led by as many as five runs, but Saint Francis rallied to defeat the Red Raiders, 12-10 in eight innings Friday on day one of the Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic at Rocky Johnson Field.

The Red Raiders fall to 13-12 on the season, while Saint Francis moves to 22-8. Tech turns around for a doubleheader Saturday against East Carolina (14-11) and Saint Francis starting at 4 p.m.

"We weren't sharp on the mound," head coach Adrian Gregory said. "You go up by five and you feel really good about yourself. Then, you don't go in as sharp on the mound. Clearly, if we score 10 runs, we should win. We weren't as sharp on the mound as we needed to be. You just can't give up big hits after you score a lot of runs."

Saint Francis's Jordan Seneca went 2-3 with a pair of grand slams and four runs scored for the Red Flash to lead their comeback effort.

Sophomore Kiana Workman got things going for Tech in the second inning with a grand slam. The blast to left field gave Tech an early 5-0. The Tomball, Texas, native finished 2-3 on the day with four RBI, a walk and a run.

Following the four-run third for the Red Flash, freshman Raina O'Neal also sent one deep for her team-leading seventh home run of the season, connecting on a two-run shot in the third inning that put Tech up 8-4.

Seneca would hit her second grand slam of the game in the fourth to even the score at 8-8. The Red Flash went on to gain the lead in the sixth off a two-run home run by sophomore outfielder Hayley Norton that made it 10-8.

Tech worked its way into prime scoring opportunities in the fourth and fifth innings, loading the bases in both frames with no outs. An RBI walk by senior Susan Welborn in the fourth was all Tech could push across, however, as the Red Raiders would end up leaving 10 runners on base in the contest.

"I thought we were never not in it," Gregory said. "We were 100 percent in it throughout. Even into the seventh or the eighth. I think our kids fought hard, and they'll get it. They have a lot of grit and a lot of heart. We'll get it."

Trailing by a run, Tech tied the game in the sixth off a sac fly to right field from freshman pitcher Kassidy Scott that plated O'Neal. Scott finished 1-2 on the day, while a total of nine Red Raiders recorded a hit on the day.

Scott is tagged with the loss, falling to 6-7 on the year. She went 5.1 innings, giving up eight runs on seven hits with five walks and two strikeouts. Senior Mattison Maisel pitched 2.2 innings of relief for Tech, surrendering four runs on three hits with four strikeouts and two walks.

QUOTE OF THE NIGHT
Gregory on the team's hitting
"I thought we were great in the box. I thought we had great at-bats. We had 23 runners on base. That's definitely positive, and that's a lot of momentum and a lot of energy. We have to be sharper on the base paths and overall we have to be sharper at the circle, but I thought we were really great at the plate."

POST-GAME NOTES

Friday marked the first three-hour game since April 11, 2015 – a 3:29 marathon against Kansas that ended in 10 innings.
It was also the first extra-inning game of the season for Texas Tech.
The Red Raiders' 14 hits were a season-high.
Tech has scored ten runs or more four times this season.
Sophomore Kiana Workman hit her first career grand slam, her third home run of the season.
Workman's four RBI were also a career high.
Freshman Raina O'Neal hit her team-leading seventh home run of the season.
Texas Tech moves to 28-4 all-time at the Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic