RUSTON, La. – On day one of the LA Tech Invitational, the HCU softball team lost to the host Lady Techsters, 8-0, before snapping a six-game losing streak against Umass-Lowell, 8-5, at Dr. Billy Bundrick Field.
Game 1
A leadoff walk in the bottom of the first followed by a stolen base and a one-out single up the middle put Louisiana Tech (12-5) ahead 1-0 after one. HCU (9-8) advanced runners to third in each of the first two innings but then went down in order in the third, fourth and fifth. The Lady Techsters added runs in each inning to take the 8-0 win in five innings.
Junior
Lyndie Swanson took the loss in the circle, falling to 3-3 on the season. Swanson allowed five runs, four earned, in two innings with two strikeouts and two walks. Junior
Ronni Grofman pitched two innings in relief, giving up three earned runs on two hits. The HCU offense managed just three singles in the loss.
Game 2
In the second game, against Umass Lowell (2-8),
AB Garcia reached on a bunt single and moved all the way up to third with one out in the top of the second. Grofman then hit into a fielder's choice that scored Garcia for a 1-0 HCU lead.
Avery Drake led off the third with a walk followed by a
Haylie Savage single through the right side with Drake going from first to third and Savage advancing to second on the throw. Two batters later,
Jasie Roberts came up with a clutch single to right center to score them both and extend the Huskies' lead to three. The River Hawks answered in the bottom half, however, plating two runs with four singles in the inning.
Grofman got things going in the fourth with a single and then advanced around to third on two wild pitches.
Hadlee Tomczak then drew a walk with pinch runner
Jackie Jessup stealing second. With two in scoring position and nobody out,
Tabitha Burnett singled through the left side to score Grofman. Drake then dropped a sacrifice bunt to move Burnett up to second and reached first to load the bases. Savage then singled up the middle to bring home Burnett and Jessup while Drake and Savage ended up on second and third thanks to a throwing error on the play. Roberts drove in the fourth run of the inning with a sacrifice fly, putting HCU ahead, 7-3.
Umass Lowell scored two more in the bottom of the fourth, cutting the HCU lead down to two, 7-5. The fifth and sixth went quietly before the Huskies picked up an insurance run in the top of the seventh thanks to a Tomczak RBI walk.
Addy Prasifka started in the circle, allowing five total runs with three earned on six hits.
Katy Janes earned the win in relief, throwing four shutout innings of two-hit ball with four strikeouts and two walks. Janes' record improves to 4-2.
Savage and Grofman each had two hits with Savage tallying two RBI and one run scored while Drake scored twice. The Huskies finished with seven hits in the win, all singles.
The Huskies play the same opponents again on Sunday, Mar. 5, with Umass Lowell up first, at 10:00 a.m., followed by Louisiana Tech at 3:00 p.m.
