HOUSTON – The Lady Tigers of Texas Southern University overcame a first-inning deficit Tuesday and claimed a 5-4 win over the visiting Sam Houston State Bearkats.
Four different Lady Tigers knocked RBIs during TSU's four-run second inning as the home team won its fourth consecutive game, and its fourth win this season over a Southland Conference opponent.
TSU head coach Worley Barker started seven freshmen and two sophomores in the Lady Tigers' midweek non-conference game, and they did not disappoint. Freshman infielder Ebony Wiltz led the Lady Tigers (12-5-1) with two RBIs and went 2-for-3 at the plate, while freshman Coren Davis also knocked two hits.
Relief pitcher Bailey Daniels, another TSU freshman, pitched three innings and allowed only one run (unearned) to pick up her second collegiate victory. Chelsea Baxter, a freshman from nearby Bellaire High School, earned the save for the Lady Tigers.
Sam Houston State (11-22) put three of their first four batters on base to open the game. Two batters later with a 1-0 lead in hand, Sheridan Fisher's triple plated two more Bearkats and gave the visitors a 3-0 lead.
After TSU went down in order in the bottom of the first, the Bearkats seemed poised to add to their lead when Taylar Fuselier led off with a single and then moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt. Codi Carpenter then hit a long, fly ball deep to centerfield which was tracked down by TSU's Zariah Robins. The catch surprised Fuselier, who had rounded third, but missed the bag when she returned to second.
Though the runner had reached second base ahead of TSU shortstop Dominique Tello reaching the ball, Barker instructed his team to get the ball back to the third base. Tello calmly threw to third baseman Clarissa Santos, and the runner was called out as the inning ended with the unusual double play.
Momentum shifted following the double play, as Davis and Danielle Sonnier led off the bottom of the inning with back-to-back singles. Following Paige Jackson's fielder's choice grounder and a wild pitch, Jazmyn Foster put the Lady Tigers on the board with an RBI single that scored Sonnier.
The next batter, Alyssa Garcia, grounded out to short, but the grounder allowed Jackson to come home and cut the Sam Houston lead to 3-2. With one big play in the inning to her name, Robins then came to the plate, and knocked a bunt single, barely beating the throw to first that would have been to the third out. Wiltz then came to the plate and singled home Foster to tie the game. Tello then followed with an RBI to score Robins.
Wiltz also added an RBI in the bottom of the fourth on a hard hit ball to short that allowed Wiltz to score and stretch TSU's lead to 5-3.
After TSU overtook the lead in the second inning, starting pitcher Mariah Youngblood tossed one more scoreless inning; she tossed three innings in the game, allowing the three first-inning runs and four hits.
Sam Houston cut the lead to 5-4 in the sixth inning. In the seventh, Baxter got flyouts on the first two batters, and after a single and an error, struck out Megan Crosby on a riseball to end the game.
The Lady Tigers return to action Wednesday for a doubleheader at North Texas, and then will play their three-game series at Southwestern Athletic Conference opponent Grambling on Friday and Saturday.
Courtesy: TSU Athletics
Four different Lady Tigers knocked RBIs during TSU's four-run second inning as the home team won its fourth consecutive game, and its fourth win this season over a Southland Conference opponent.
TSU head coach Worley Barker started seven freshmen and two sophomores in the Lady Tigers' midweek non-conference game, and they did not disappoint. Freshman infielder Ebony Wiltz led the Lady Tigers (12-5-1) with two RBIs and went 2-for-3 at the plate, while freshman Coren Davis also knocked two hits.
Relief pitcher Bailey Daniels, another TSU freshman, pitched three innings and allowed only one run (unearned) to pick up her second collegiate victory. Chelsea Baxter, a freshman from nearby Bellaire High School, earned the save for the Lady Tigers.
Sam Houston State (11-22) put three of their first four batters on base to open the game. Two batters later with a 1-0 lead in hand, Sheridan Fisher's triple plated two more Bearkats and gave the visitors a 3-0 lead.
After TSU went down in order in the bottom of the first, the Bearkats seemed poised to add to their lead when Taylar Fuselier led off with a single and then moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt. Codi Carpenter then hit a long, fly ball deep to centerfield which was tracked down by TSU's Zariah Robins. The catch surprised Fuselier, who had rounded third, but missed the bag when she returned to second.
Though the runner had reached second base ahead of TSU shortstop Dominique Tello reaching the ball, Barker instructed his team to get the ball back to the third base. Tello calmly threw to third baseman Clarissa Santos, and the runner was called out as the inning ended with the unusual double play.
Momentum shifted following the double play, as Davis and Danielle Sonnier led off the bottom of the inning with back-to-back singles. Following Paige Jackson's fielder's choice grounder and a wild pitch, Jazmyn Foster put the Lady Tigers on the board with an RBI single that scored Sonnier.
The next batter, Alyssa Garcia, grounded out to short, but the grounder allowed Jackson to come home and cut the Sam Houston lead to 3-2. With one big play in the inning to her name, Robins then came to the plate, and knocked a bunt single, barely beating the throw to first that would have been to the third out. Wiltz then came to the plate and singled home Foster to tie the game. Tello then followed with an RBI to score Robins.
Wiltz also added an RBI in the bottom of the fourth on a hard hit ball to short that allowed Wiltz to score and stretch TSU's lead to 5-3.
After TSU overtook the lead in the second inning, starting pitcher Mariah Youngblood tossed one more scoreless inning; she tossed three innings in the game, allowing the three first-inning runs and four hits.
Sam Houston cut the lead to 5-4 in the sixth inning. In the seventh, Baxter got flyouts on the first two batters, and after a single and an error, struck out Megan Crosby on a riseball to end the game.
The Lady Tigers return to action Wednesday for a doubleheader at North Texas, and then will play their three-game series at Southwestern Athletic Conference opponent Grambling on Friday and Saturday.
Courtesy: TSU Athletics