Golden Eagles rally late, but lose another in seventh inning, 4-3
CATHEDRAL CITY, Calif. – Handcuffed for most of the game,
Tennessee Tech rallied with three runs in the seventh inning to tie
the game before falling in the bottom of the seventh to Loyola
Marymount, 4-3, Friday in the Cathedral City Classic.
In the late game, UC Santa Barbara had an offensive explosion to
post a 10-1 win over the Golden Eagles. Tech will wrap up the
tournament with the late game Saturday against Brigham Young.
Tech (5-7) suffered its second one-run loss in the tournament when
the LMU Lions plated the winning run with two outs in the bottom of
the seventh Friday night. On Thursday, Tech dropped a 3-2 game to
Texas on a walk-off home run.
Held to just two hits through the first five innings, Tech showed a
spark in the sixth with back-to-back singles to open the frame by
Cassidy Skeen and Lacie Coquerille. However, LMU pitcher Corie
Goodman worked her way out of trouble by retiring the next three
batters, including the final two on strikeouts.
Tech finally got through against Goodman in the seventh, erasing a
3-0 deficit with three runs to tie the game. Kimmie White, Kaleigh
Gates and Brooke Basten all singled to load the bases with nobody
out. Pinch runner Taylor Horseman scored the first run on a
throwing error when the LMU catcher tried to pick her off third
base.
Cassidy Skeen delivered a two-run double to left center to tie the
game at 3-3. Tech had the potential go-ahead run on at third base,
but Lacie Coquerille was thrown out attempting to steal second base
to end the inning.
In the bottom of the frame, Tech sophomore Maddie Schmissrauter
returned to the circle and was within one out of reaching extra
innings when Darcy Pagnini singled home the winning run. J.J.
Hartung led off with a single and moved to second on a wild pitch.
Schmissrauter got a strikeout and a ground out, and had two strikes
on Pagnini when she slapped a single through the right side and
Hartung raced home.
Schmissrauter was Tech’s starting pitcher, and saw LMU strike
for three runs in the bottom of the first inning despite the Golden
Eagles throwing out two runners on the bases. Sam Fischer and
Pagnini each singled and with two outs and two strikes, Megan
Anderson jacked a three-run home run.
Goodman appeared in control, allowing only a first-inning double to
Coquerille and a third inning single to Basten while holding the
3-0 lead. In the sixth,
Goodman got the win, working all seven innings and allowing only
one earned run. She walked one and struck out 10. Schmissrauter
worked the first three innings and the seventh, pitching 3.2
innings total. She allowed nine hits and all four runs with one
walk and one strikeout.
Senior Kristina Hortert pitched the three middle scoreless innings,
walking one and striking out one batter.
IN FRIDAY'S SECOND GAME, all nine UCSB Gaucho
starters had at least one hit in the 10-1 win.
Seniors Christine Ramos and Tiffany Wright led the team
offensively. Ramos went 2-for-5 at the plate with a run and two
RBI. Wright went 2-for-4 with one run and two RBI. Junior Kelsey
Anderson rounded out the multiple hit performances going 2-for-3
with two runs and a walk.
In the circle, Lindsey Correa (1-0) picked up the win after
pitching a complete game and allowing one run on two hits. She
struck out nine and retired the first 10 batters she faced.
UCSB went up 3-0 in the first inning, but Tech starter Holly Thomas
settled down after that and held the Gauchos sccoreless over the
next five innings. In the top of the sixth, UCSB added a single run
to make it 4-0. The Gauchos scored one more int he sixth, then
plated five runs in the seventh to make it a 10-0 lead.
Lacie Coquerille hit a home run at the top of the order for the
Golden Eagles at the bottom of the seventh for Tech's only run.
Coquerille had both of the Golden Eagles' hits. Thomas took the
loss after tossing a complete game and allowing 10 runs - eight
earned - on 12 hits. She walked six and struck out four.
