Red Raiders Run Rule UMKC
By: Matt Dowdy - Texas Tech University
Updated: March 9, 2013
LUBBOCK, Texas - Mikey
Kenney belted a pair of home runs while Sandy James added one of her
own to push Texas Tech to its second run-rule of the day with a
9-1 victory over UMKC Saturday afternoon at Rocky Johnson Field.
The
victory, the third already this year for Tech over UMKC, moved the Red
Raiders (16-8) to 3-1 so far in the Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic
with a pair games
still scheduled for Sunday and one on Monday.
"We
had a good day today," Tech head coach Shanon Hays. "We saw the ball a
little bit better and then got really good pitching from Gretchen Aucoin
in the second game.
This was the type of day this team is capable of and I was proud of the
way we played."
Kenney
connected on a solo shot in the fifth and then a three-run blast in the
sixth for her second multiple home run game already this season. The
home run in the
sixth was part of a six-run inning for the Red Raiders, who have won all
three games this weekend via run rule.
James
had previously homered in the third, the second of her three hits in
the game, as she finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBI. She
notched the game-ending
hit in the sixth with a two-out double that brought Shelby Johnson in
all the way from first.
The
Red Raiders opened the scoring in the sixth with RBI singles from both
Emily Cooper and Lexie Elkins. Adriana Perez added Tech's only other RBI
with a one-run
single in the first.
Gretchen
Aucoin was dominant in the circle, meanwhile, as the freshman did not
surrender a hit until a Brooke Parker leadoff single in the sixth.
Parker later scored
UMKC's only run off a Tech throwing error to try to catch Liz Broyles
stealing second.
Parker's
hit was the only one given up by Aucoin (3-0), who struck out a
career-high nine in her first-career complete game. Her nine strikeouts
marked the most for
a Tech pitcher this season.
Deanna
Friese (4-5) picked up the loss for UMKC after allowing nine runs,
eight of which were earned, off 11 hits and one walk. She also struck
out seven in the complete-game
performance as well.
Tech
and UMKC will face each other for the final time to start the third day
of the Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic Sunday afternoon as first
pitch is scheduled
for 12 p.m. The Red Raiders will also face Troy later in the day with a
scheduled 5:30 p.m. start.
