Brittany Washington Lifts Mavs Past Colonels in Extra Innings
5/13/2010 12:00:00 AM | Softball
May 13, 2010
San Marcos, Texas - Senior Brittany Washington lifted UT Arlington (27-23) pasted Nicholls State (25-21) 3-2 in 10 innings with a clutch base hit in the opening game of the 2010 Southland Conference Tournament at Bobcat Stadium in San Marcos, Texas.
Washington saved UTA from going into 11 innings when she hit a shot over the center fielder with bases loaded, scoring Kari Karr. It was all the Mavericks needed to advance to the next round of the tournament.
SLC Freshman of the Year Teri Lyles opened post season play, pitching 10 innings, allowing two runs on five hits while striking out four. The pair of runs for the Colonels came in the first and second frames. Lyles also put in work at the plate, connecting on a pair of hits for the Mavs.
After two solo shots in the first and second innings for Nicholls State, UT Arlington's Rebecca Collom and Cara Hulme brought out the big bats in the bottom of the third ripping back-to-back homers to left field to tie the game at 2-2. The long balls were Collom's ninth and Hulme's 10th of the year.
Following seven innings of action, the two teams went into extra innings where the Colonels kept the Mavericks on their toes, especially in the top of the ninth when left fielder Kelsey Kaiser made an outstanding catch at the wall, robbing Laine Strickland of a home run.
The Mavericks headed to the 10th with the heart of the lineup ready to go. Hulme and Lyles led the inning off with back-to-back singles which put the Mavs in perfect position to play small ball. First team All-SLC catcher Samantha Chumchal laid down a perfect bunt, advancing pinch runner Karr and Lyles a base.
With one out, runners in scoring position and senior Heather Fortenberry on deck, Nicholls State's head coach came out to the mound where she called in her entire team for a brief discussion. Fortenberry was issued four straight balls and given first base in order for Colonel's pitcher Lacey Gross to face Washington who was 0-for-4 on the day.
With the Colonels infield and outfield playing in, Washington delivered with a clutch hit to win the game.
UT Arlington scattered 10 hits with Hulme, Lyles and Courtney Enocksen recording multi-hit performances.
The Mavs will now look to take down No. 2 seed Texas State at 6:30 p.m. at Bobcat Stadium.
In earlier softball action, No. 4 McNeese State shutout No. 5 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 6-0.
