CLEARWATER, Fla. – A solo home run in the bottom of the sixth was the difference in the ballgame as Texas Tech (3-6) came up just short against No. 6 Washington (8-0) Saturday afternoon at the St. Pete/Clearwater Elite Invitational.
The Red Raiders outhit the Huskies 7-2 but left 10 runners on base. Ellie Bailey and Alanna Barraza accounted for five of Tech’s seven hits. Freshman pitcher Erna Carlin went the distance in the circle, holding Washington hitless through 3.1 innings.
Tech was the first team to put a runner in scoring position after Peyton Blythe reached on a fielder’s choice and advanced to second when Barraza was hit by a pitch, but a ground out ended the top of the second.
A walk and a sac bunt put a Washington runner on second in the bottom half of the inning and a wild pitch moved her to third. Carlin forced a pop out to second and struck out a batter to end the inning.
The Huskies broke up the no-hitter in the fourth inning with a single to left field after Demi Elder robbed the previous batter of a home run by falling through the temporary fence to make the grab. Following the single, the next batter laced a ball to right field where Elder made another impressive catch on the run and threw back to first base to double up the runner to end the inning.
Tech’s best scoring opportunity came in the top of the fifth after Jacee Hamlin walked, stole second and advanced to third on a dropped third strike. The Red Raiders could not bring in the run, keeping the game in a scoreless tie.
Though the Red Raiders would get two batters on in the top of the sixth, it was the Huskies who finally broke through with a solo home run from Baylee Klingler in the bottom half of the inning for the lone run of the game.
The Red Raiders had one last chance in the top of the seventh and looked to rally with a two out single from Bailey. Maddie Westmoreland hit a ball back at the pitcher, who tipped it with her glove but recovered in time to throw the ball to first for the final out of the game in a close play.
NOTABLES
- Ellie Bailey went 3-for-4 with three singles, tying a career-high for hits in a game.
- Alanna Barraza reached base three times, going 2-for-2 at the plate with a couple of singles and a hit by pitch.
- The Red Raiders reached base in every inning and recorded a hit in every inning but the fifth.
- Erna Carlin struck out Washington’s Sami Reynolds and Madison Huskey for the first time this season. She held the sixth-ranked Huskies to their fewest hits and runs this season. Going into the matchup Washington was averaging 10.3 hits and 9.5 runs per game.
UP NEXT
The Red Raiders close out the SPC Elite Invitational at 8:00 a.m. CT on Sunday morning against No. 21 LSU.
