After hanging on for the 4-3 win in game one of the series against UCF, Texas Tech softball was back in action on Saturday afternoon. Kaitlyn Terry started in the circle and retired the first four batters of the game with a couple of strikeouts and groundouts before allowing a single under the glove of Jackie Lis on a sharply hit ball to first.
She’d work around the runner by getting another groundout to Hailey Toney at SS and then notching her third K of the game.
Offensively, Texas Tech had two base runners in each of the first two innings but couldn’t take advantage of the UCF defense who managed to hold the Red Raiders off the board.
In the top of the 3rd, Mihyia Davis got it going again with a leadoff single. It would stall out quickly though after a flyout from Terry and a double play. The game would stay tied at 0-0 through the bottom of the 3rd as the Texas Tech defense worked around a single baserunner for the second straight inning.
UCF worked a 1,2,3 inning in the top of the 4th frame and seemed to be seizing a moment with two singles and a sac bunt setting them up with ducks on the pond and one out. Terry wouldn’t allow anything else to get in play striking out the final two batters of the inning.
In the 5th, Texas Tech finally broke the seal on the scoreboard. Lagi Quiroga worked a magnificent walk and would be pinch run for by Logan Halleman. She’d get to second on a wild pitch, move to 3rd on a single by Makayla Garcia and then come home on an infield hit by Lauren Allred. During the play, they’d attempt to cut the runner down at home plate, but the first run of the game would be confirmed by replay.
Kaitlyn Terry then helped her own cause by bringing home both Garcia and Allred on an RBI single up the middle. After a pitching change, Mia Williams would double down the line to push the lead to 4-0. Another double, this time by Jasmyn Burns into the gap, made it 5-0.
Terry then threw a shut down inning to send the Red Raiders offense right back out. They’d add four more runs to extend the lead to 9-0, setting up a chance to end the game in the 6th inning.
In the bottom of the 6th, Kaitlyn Terry stayed in the game and got two quick groundouts to Taylor Pannell before allowing a single. With two outs and a runner on base, an infield bloop to Hailey Toney ended the game as she fielded it and stepped on second base for the force.
Terry would get the complete game shutout with five strikeouts and zero walks. She was also the only Red Raider with a multi-RBI game knocking in three of the nine Texas Tech runs.
The Red Raiders will go for the sweep tomorrow afternoon. The win today pushes the Texas Tech record to 29-2 and 7-1 in Big 12 play.
