HOUSTON – Texas Southern University senior Lauren Rodriguez pitched 10 shutout innings Saturday and was the victorious pitcher in both of the Lady Tigers' wins during a doubleheader sweep of Jackson State.
Rodriguez tossed a five-inning no-hitter as the Lady Tigers took the opening game by a score of 9-0. TSU then completed the sweep of their opponents from the Southwestern Athletic Conference's East Division with a 5-1 win in the second game of the twinbill.
The Lady Tigers (11-5-1) improved to 3-0 in SWAC play with the win. Jackson State (7-15, 1-5 SWAC) lost its fourth and fifth consecutive games Saturday at Memorial Park.
Rodriguez faced one batter over the five-inning minimum in TSU's 9-0 win over their visitors, striking out seven batters and not issuing a walk. Jackson State's lone baserunner came on a first-inning error.
After throwing only 53 pitches in the opening game – which lasted only 72 minutes – Rodriguez also took the circle for game two, in which she threw five more shutout innings while scattering four hits and striking out four JSU hitters. After TSU scored four in the bottom of the fifth, TSU reliever Tyra Williams finished the game.
TSU was in control for the duration of the opening game, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Leadoff batter Terren Vinson drew a walk, then stole two bases before coming home on a throwing error in an attempt to throw her out stealing third. Julia Bilbao also knocked an RBI in the inning when her fielder's choice grounder allowed Madi Marek to score.
Marek would open the scoring in the third inning when she came home on Coren Davis' sacrifice fly. TSU added a couple more runs later in the frame when Jocilynn Ellis knocked a two-RBI single to score Bilbao and Sierra Valdez.
Consecutive bases-loaded walks to Valdez and Bilbao in the fourth inning stretched TSU's lead to 7-0. Davis then capped the scoring with a bases-loaded ground-rule double to score Marek and Valdez.
Valdez and Ebony Wiltz each had two base hits for Texas Southern in Saturday's opener.
The second game proved to be much closer as Rodriguez and Jackson State starter Ashley Sain traded scoreless innings for the first four frames. Sain was perfect through four innings, which included having a leadoff single from Vinson in the bottom of the fourth taken away when Vinson was called out for making contact with the ball outside the batter's box.
The hometown Lady Tigers finally broke through in the bottom of the fifth, when Valdez led off with a single, which was followed by Bilbao drawing a walk. Coren Davis then knocked a bunt single, with the ensuing throw-out attempt from Sain going into the outfield, allowing Zariah Robins (pinch-running for Valdez) and Bilbao to score.
TSU's next batter, A'Leccia Bell, knocked a two-run home run to stretch the lead to 4-0. The Lady Tigers added another insurance run in the sixth with a solo home run from Valdez.
Williams finished game two in the circle, allowing only two hits and an unearned run while striking out two batters. Bell's home run meant Williams entered with a 4-0 lead, denying her an opportunity for a save, but she did lower her ERA to 0.95.
As for Rodriguez, she pitched a total of six and one-thirds innings Saturday before giving up a hit, which gave her a total of eight and one-thirds consecutive hitless innings pitched. She has not given up an earned run in her last 20 innings pitched, dating back to the team's 4-3 win at Texas A&M–Corpus Christi on Feb. 25.
The Lady Tigers return to action Tuesday when host Sam Houston State to conclude their eight-game homestand. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.
Courtesy: TSU Athletics
Rodriguez tossed a five-inning no-hitter as the Lady Tigers took the opening game by a score of 9-0. TSU then completed the sweep of their opponents from the Southwestern Athletic Conference's East Division with a 5-1 win in the second game of the twinbill.
The Lady Tigers (11-5-1) improved to 3-0 in SWAC play with the win. Jackson State (7-15, 1-5 SWAC) lost its fourth and fifth consecutive games Saturday at Memorial Park.
Rodriguez faced one batter over the five-inning minimum in TSU's 9-0 win over their visitors, striking out seven batters and not issuing a walk. Jackson State's lone baserunner came on a first-inning error.
After throwing only 53 pitches in the opening game – which lasted only 72 minutes – Rodriguez also took the circle for game two, in which she threw five more shutout innings while scattering four hits and striking out four JSU hitters. After TSU scored four in the bottom of the fifth, TSU reliever Tyra Williams finished the game.
TSU was in control for the duration of the opening game, scoring two runs in the bottom of the first inning. Leadoff batter Terren Vinson drew a walk, then stole two bases before coming home on a throwing error in an attempt to throw her out stealing third. Julia Bilbao also knocked an RBI in the inning when her fielder's choice grounder allowed Madi Marek to score.
Marek would open the scoring in the third inning when she came home on Coren Davis' sacrifice fly. TSU added a couple more runs later in the frame when Jocilynn Ellis knocked a two-RBI single to score Bilbao and Sierra Valdez.
Consecutive bases-loaded walks to Valdez and Bilbao in the fourth inning stretched TSU's lead to 7-0. Davis then capped the scoring with a bases-loaded ground-rule double to score Marek and Valdez.
Valdez and Ebony Wiltz each had two base hits for Texas Southern in Saturday's opener.
The second game proved to be much closer as Rodriguez and Jackson State starter Ashley Sain traded scoreless innings for the first four frames. Sain was perfect through four innings, which included having a leadoff single from Vinson in the bottom of the fourth taken away when Vinson was called out for making contact with the ball outside the batter's box.
The hometown Lady Tigers finally broke through in the bottom of the fifth, when Valdez led off with a single, which was followed by Bilbao drawing a walk. Coren Davis then knocked a bunt single, with the ensuing throw-out attempt from Sain going into the outfield, allowing Zariah Robins (pinch-running for Valdez) and Bilbao to score.
TSU's next batter, A'Leccia Bell, knocked a two-run home run to stretch the lead to 4-0. The Lady Tigers added another insurance run in the sixth with a solo home run from Valdez.
Williams finished game two in the circle, allowing only two hits and an unearned run while striking out two batters. Bell's home run meant Williams entered with a 4-0 lead, denying her an opportunity for a save, but she did lower her ERA to 0.95.
As for Rodriguez, she pitched a total of six and one-thirds innings Saturday before giving up a hit, which gave her a total of eight and one-thirds consecutive hitless innings pitched. She has not given up an earned run in her last 20 innings pitched, dating back to the team's 4-3 win at Texas A&M–Corpus Christi on Feb. 25.
The Lady Tigers return to action Tuesday when host Sam Houston State to conclude their eight-game homestand. First pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m.
Courtesy: TSU Athletics