Red Raiders Drop Midweek Contest at ACU

Tuesday, April 10

Abilene, TX

6 PM

Texas Tech Athletics

21-19, 0

Abilene Christian

14-20, 0

Texas Tech

Abilene Christian

Red Raiders Drop Midweek Contest at ACU

April 10, 2018 | Softball

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Outfielder Karli Hamilton comes up a single short of the cycle to lead the Tech offense.

By: Texas Tech Athletics Communications

ABILENE, Texas – Texas Tech softball got off to a strong start in its midweek tilt at Abilene Christian on Tuesday, before the Wildcats rallied late to steal an 11-10 win over the Red Raiders at Poly Wells Field.

Tech scored four runs in the first and added five in the fourth to carry a 9-2 lead into the fifth inning. The Wildcats (14-20, 7-8) plated one in the fifth and two in the sixth to pull to within 10-5, and ACU's Katelyn Belch capped off a six-run seventh with a two-run home run to walk it off.

Redshirt sophomore Karli Hamilton led a strong offensive showing for Tech (21-19, 1-8), going 3-for-4 and coming up a single short of the cycle. She tied her career high with four RBI and set a new career-high with three runs scored. Tuesday marked the second three hit game of her career as the Houston native recorded her fifth home run of the year and 12 of her career.

Redshirt freshman Heaven Burton also posted a 3-for-4 performance with an RBI and a run while freshman Erin Edmoundson had her third career multi-hit game.

In all, the Tech bats recorded 10 runs and compiled 13 or more hits for the fourth time this season. Eight Red Raiders tallied hits and six secured an RBI on the day.

Reigning FastPitch News National Player of the Week Jessica Hartwell finished 1-for-4 with a two-RBI double as part of a five-run fourth inning. The junior, batting at the top of the lineup for the second straight game, also recorded a hit-by-pitch and her tenth stolen base of the year.

With Hartwell hitting leadoff, Tech got on the board in the first inning for the second straight game. The Galt, Calif., native was hit by a pitch and then stole second before crossing home on an RBI double from Hamilton. Three more runs crossed home on RBIs from junior Kiana Workman, Edmoundson and senior Allison Knopp to put Tech ahead 4-0 after one.

Leading 4-2 after three, Tech added a five-run fourth inning as Hartwell, Hamilton and Burton all drove in runs. A walk from Knopp and a double from freshman Breanna Russell set it up for Hartwell, who drove in two runs with a double to left field. Two batters later, Hamilton shot a two-run triple off the wall in left to make it 8-2, before Burton capped the inning with an infield single for her second of three hits in the game.

ACU began chipping away in the fifth with a solo home run from Donelle Johnson. Edmoundson, would retire the side and Tech would make the switch to senior Cheyene Powell to start the sixth, who surrendered two unearned runs that cut Tech's lead to 10-5.

After the Wildcats cut it to 10-6 with an RBI triple in the seventh, Tech made the call to go back to Edmoundson. Following a walk and a two-run double, sophomore Kassidy Scott (6-7) came on looking for her first save of the year. A sac fly would make it 10-9 with a runner on first before Belch connected on a 1-1 pitch for a walk-off home run.

ACU's Calie Burris (3-7) got the complete-game win giving up seven earned runs on 13 hits. Wildcats Brianna Barnhill, Braegan Hamilton and Johnson combined to go 8-of-12 at the plate with six runs and five RBI.

UP NEXT
The Red Raiders head to Austin to open a three-game set against the Texas Longhorns on Friday at 7 p.m. on Longhorn Network. The series will round out a challenging early Big 12 slate that sees Tech facing each of the top four teams from the Big 12 Preseason Poll.

For updates and info on all things Texas Tech softball, follow @TexasTechSB on Twitter and Instagram, and stay tuned to TexasTech.com.