Longhorns Outlast Red Raiders in 14 Inning Marathon

Thursday, April 13

Lubbock, TX

6:00 PM

Texas Tech Athletics

17-21, 0

Texas

21-18, 0

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Runs R	Hits H	Errors E
Texas	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	4	10	1
Texas Tech	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	5	1

Longhorns Outlast Red Raiders in 14 Inning Marathon

April 13, 2017 | Softball

Box Score Photo Gallery

Scott throws 13.1 innings Thursday, the second-longest outing in school history.

LUBBOCK, Texas – Texas scored three runs in the top of the 14^th inning to break open a 1-1 game and come away with a 4-1 victory over Texas Tech Thursday night in what was the longest game ever played at Rocky Johnson Field.

A Jessica Hartwell home run in the bottom of the fourth tied the game at 1-1, and that's where the game stayed for the next nine innings until the Longhorns plated a pair of runs on an RBI single up the middle and added one more later on to take the 4-1 win.

The game tied the longest game in Texas's softball history and was one inning shy of tying the longest game in Red Raider history, a 15-inning contest in 1996 in which Tech defeated Southwest Texas, 5-3. It also marks just the third game in the NCAA this season that has gone 14 innings or more.

Freshman pitcher Kassidy Scott left it on the field, throwing 174 pitches and 112 strikes in 13.1 innings of work, marking the second-longest outing in school history behind Emily Hays, who pitched all 15 innings in Tech's 1996 battle with Southwest Texas. It was also the third-longest outing in the NCAA this season.

"You go 14 innings, you have to feel really great about the way you performed defensively and I thought she threw really great," head coach Adrian Gregory said. "She had absolute control of the strike zone for almost the whole game. That kid is so gutsy and she's so competitive. Even towards the very end when she's completely out of gas, we're going to continue to let her to do what she's done – she earned it. She absolutely earned to have that opportunity. Of course, you want to come out with a win on that, but it only happens for one team and I really love how we grinded for sure."

Hartwell led the Red Raiders at the plate, going 2-5 with a home run and a base on balls, while senior Kierra Miles notched another milestone in her incredible career at Texas Tech, becoming the fourth Red Raider in program history to reach 200 hits. The Mustang, Okla., native, who leads the team hitting .325, did so in the top of the eighth, lining a single into left center field for her 37^th hit of the season.

After Texas scored a run in the top of the second, Tech held the Longhorns scoreless for 11 straight innings, the longest such streak of the season for the Red Raiders. While Texas outhit Tech 10-5, the Red Raiders worked counts and found ways to put runners on base, giving themselves multiple chance to gain the lead.

"We talk all the time about your pursuit," Gregory said. "What is your pursuit? What are you going to do? What is your character through all of it? I thought we had so many opportunities to win. We had runners in scoring positions a lot. I think that our kids played really great. You always think that if you play really great you should win, but it doesn't always happen like that. I'm really proud of them. We have two more games to get them right here. I hope the crowd continues to come and stays with it. We're going to keep playing the game hard."

The loss moves Tech to 17-21 on the season, 4-6 in Big 12 play and gives Texas (21-18, 1-6) its first Big 12 win. The two squads are right back at it for game two of the series Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. at Rocky Johnson Field.

QUOTE OF THE DAY
On the length of the game…
"As you get into the grind and you just move, you lose track of time. You just keep seeing opportunities for your kids. You get so many plays – like Kierra Miles has two diving huge plays in right field in the same inning. The game is so fun like that and, to me, you have to continue to keep that in the brain. The game is so fun when it gets into extra innings."

POST-GAME NOTES

Thursday's game was the longest in the history of Rocky Johnson Field and the second longest in program history.
Senior Kierra Miles became the fourth player in program history with 200 career hits.
After the second inning, Tech held Texas scoreless for 11 straight innings, the longest streak of shutout innings for Tech this season.
Texas Tech falls to 0-2 in extra-inning games this season.
Texas Tech has now hit 13 home runs in 19 home games this season.
Hartwell's home run was her sixth of the season and Tech's Big 12-leading 37^th of the season.
Freshman pitcher Kassidy Scott has now started nine of 10 Big 12 games this season for the Red Raiders.
The Red Raiders are now 2-2 in their last four home games against Texas.
Adrian Gregory falls to 3-4 versus the Longhorns as head coach at Texas Tech.
Tech moves to 10-36 all-time versus Texas and 4-17 at home.