Red Raider Softball Falls to No. 20 James Madison

Friday, February 14

Clearwater, FL

2:00 PM

Texas Tech Athletics

6-1

James Madison

1-0

James Madison

Texas Tech

Photo by: Travis Pendergrass

Red Raider Softball Falls to No. 20 James Madison

February 14, 2020 | Softball

Box Score

Texas Tech suffered its first loss of the season.

By: Shannon Carrico

CLEARWATER, Fla. – Breanna Russell and Maddie Westmoreland collected Red Raiders' only two hits as the Texas Tech softball team suffered their first loss of the season in a 6-0 decision to No. 20 James Madison on Friday at Eddie C. Moore Complex.

The Red Raider pitching staff combined for 11 strikeouts, and transfer GiGi Wall led the way with six through just two innings of work. Missy Zoch, who went out for her third start of the season, was issued the loss.

The Dukes used a walk, a passed ball and a single to load the bases in the top of the first, but Zoch pulled through and used her second strikeout of the day to escape the jam. After a quiet bottom half, neither team was able to scratch across a run in the second.

As the game rolled on, James Madison loaded the bases with no outs and used back-to-back singles to score three runs in the top of the third. Junior Erin Edmoundson relieved Zoch from her duties and the southpaw induced an out at second for the first out of the inning. Another RBI single for the Dukes made it a 4-0 game, but Edmoundson quickly responded with a pop up and a strikeout.

The Red Raiders were unable to answer in the bottom of the inning and both teams were held silent in the fourth.

Edmoundson started the top of the fifth with her third strikeout of the game, but three consecutive singles, aided by a Red Raider error in left field, plated another run for the Dukes. Edmoundson tried to respond in the next at-bat, but a sacrifice fly scored one more run and Tech fell behind, 6-0.

Tech finally put pressure on the James Madison defense when Russell broke up a perfect-game attempt by Odicci Alexander with a scorcher through the left side. Tori Whillock came in to run for the junior and a Westmoreland single into left field placed a pair of runners in scoring position. Freshman Payton Jackson came in to run at second, but the Red Raiders were unable to bring a run home and finished the fifth inning with two runners stranded.

Transfer GiGi Wall stepped into the circle for the first time this weekend and didn't disappoint. Although she allowed one single, she shut down the James Madison hitters and used three strikeouts in both the sixth and seventh innings.

With one more chance to even the score, Zoe Jones kicked off the final frame with a leadoff walk. A one-out error in left field put runners on first and second, but Tech couldn't push further and dropped its first game of the season, 6-0.

With the loss, Tech moves to 6-1 on the season.

COMING UP NEXT
The Red Raiders return for another challenging day tomorrow where they will face No. 15 Georgia and South Florida. Live stats, as well as streams on ESPN3, will be available for the games. For all the latest information on the Texas Tech softball team, visit TexasTech.com or follow @TexasTechSB on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.