No. 12 Red Raiders Clip Jayhawks to Clinch Series
LUBBOCK, Texas – The No. 12 Texas Tech softball team clinched its third Big 12 Conference series of the season thanks to a 4-1 victory over the Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday, April 20, at Rocky Johnson Field.
The Red Raiders carried over yesterday’s momentum and sophomore hurler Erin Edmoundson limited Kansas to just one run and four hits in the series-deciding game. She picked up the win and moved to 16-2 while Tech improved to 35-9 overall and 8-7 in league action.
With the win, Tech reached its highest win total since going 35-19 in 2014.
Junior Karli Hamilton highlighted the Red Raider offense with a two-run home run, two of Tech’s eight hits and a team-leading two RBI. Trenity Edwards and Taylor Satchell were the two other Red Raiders to bring in a run.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After a quick 1-2-3 opening frame, Tech jumped out front for the second straight day when Hamilton drilled a single to third base. She immediately stole second and advanced to third on a throw down that went rolling into center field.
Edwards, who picked up her third hit of the series, blasted a double to the left-center wall and scored in Hamilton to put Tech up by one.
Kansas threatened in the top of the third after a two-out error in center field allowed a Jayhawk to reach third. Despite the pressure, Edmoundson held her composure and induced a grounder to second base to stifle the Jayhawks’ efforts.
Both teams seemed to hit directly at the opposing fielders until the bottom of the fifth when Kelcy Leach scorched a leadoff single down the left-field line. Freshman Miranda Padilla came in to run for the sophomore and Satchell moved her over to second on a textbook sacrifice bunt.
On a 3-1 count, Hamilton gave the Red Raiders a three-run lead with a two-run home run that soared over the wall in left field – her seventh home run of the season.
Edmoundson blanked the Jayhawks for the sixth consecutive inning before Tech extended its lead, 4-0, in the bottom of the sixth. Zoe Jones reached base on an infield single and a walk to Leach moved her into scoring position. On two outs, Satchell lifted a single just over the Kansas shortstop and Jones came sprinting home to score Tech’s fourth run of the game.
The Red Raiders held the shutout until the top of the seventh when a leadoff double and a passed ball on a walk put a runner in scoring position. After two quick outs, the Jayhawks’ Jennifer Marwitz created a diversion between first and second and Becki Monaghan came home as a result. However, there were two outs on the play and the Red Raider defense was able to catch Marwitz in a rundown to end the game.
The Red Raiders finished the 4-1 victory with three doubles and Edmoundson fanned two batters in her 11th complete game of the season.
COMING UP NEXT
The Red Raiders travel to Stillwater, Okla., on April 26-28 for a key conference series at Oklahoma State.
–TECH–
Shannon Carrico
