LUBBOCK, Texas — Courtesy of Texas Tech athletics.
The Texas Tech softball team closed out the Jeannine McHaney Memorial Classic on a high note as GiGi Wall and Morgan Hornback combined for a one-hit shutout in the Red Raiders’ 8-0 run-rule over Delaware State, Sunday at Rocky Johnson Field.
Tech’s fourth run-rule of the weekend was aided by 10 hits and five RBI. Zoe Jones highlighted the Red Raider lineup with a pair of home runs and three RBI. Chloe Cobb and Kelcy Leach were the other Red Raiders to record two hits while four others tallied one hit.
Wall, who picked up the win and improved to 2-2, tossed 3.1 innings before Hornback entered in relief. Hornback, who limited the Hornets to just one hit, was awarded the save.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After Tech retired the side in the opening inning, the Red Raiders wasted no time going to work in their first trip to the plate. Heaven Burton smoked a leadoff single up the middle and a throwing error on a steal landed her at third base. Whaley drew a walk in the next at-bat and immediately took off for second on the next pitch. As soon as the ball left the Hornet catcher’s hand, Burton took off for home and scored to put Tech out front, 1-0.
A single from Breanna Russell placed runners on the corners and a deep sacrifice fly from Karli Hamilton plated Tech’s second run of the game. Adding more separation, Jones followed up with a two-run home run that went soaring over the left-center field wall to give Tech a 4-0 lead. The Red Raiders powered two more hits off of Delaware State’s Yanique Spencer, but Tech stopped at four runs to end the first.
Neither team was able to score in the second, but Wall threw her third three up, three down inning to send Tech to the bottom of the third. Barreling up on a 1-0 count, Jones blasted her second home run of the game and her leadoff shot pushed Tech to a 5-0 advantage.
After Wall recorded the first out in the top of the fourth, the Red Raiders sent in Hornback to take control of the circle. She immediately induced an easy grounder and caught the next batter swinging to send Tech back to the dugout.
A hit batter, single from Whaley and a walk loaded the bases with just one out in the bottom of the fourth. After a fielder’s choice prevented a run from scoring, an error in right field allowed Whaley and Russell to come around and score.
Delaware State produced their first and only hit of the game on a two-out single to right field in the top of the fifth, but Hornback responded with a strikeout to end the threat.
A leadoff double from Cobb jumpstarted the offense in the bottom of the inning, and a game-ending RBI double from Shelby Henderson scored Cobb from second to clinch the Red Raiders’ 8-0 run-rule in five innings.
With the win, the Red Raiders extended their win streak to six games and the squad improved to 16-9 on the season.
COMING UP NEXT
The Red Raiders are set to leave the Mainland for the Rainbow Wahine Classic on Mar. 11-14 in Honolulu, Hawaii. For all the latest information on the Texas Tech softball team, visit TexasTech.com or follow @TexasTechSB on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.