Feb. 24, 2006
Box Score
HOUSTON, Texas -
Texas State picked up a pair of wins in its opening round games of the Crowne Plaza Classic, balancing defense and offense to defeat Rhode Island 15-1 and tournament-host Houston 4-0.
In the first game of the doubleheader, Texas State only needed five innings to finish off Rhode Island, in its opening game of the Crowne Plaza Classic at the Houston Cougars Softball Stadium.
Texas State got on the board first, when an Alex Newton single scored Amy Hromadka and extended her hitting streak to four games.
The Bobcats, fueled by Chelsea Giroux's leadoff double, extended the lead to 12-0 in the second, sending 17 batters to the plate and exploding for 11 runs off six hits.
Texas State would add two more runs in the third and one in the fourth, for the 15-1 victory.
Leading the way for the Bobcats on offense were Kristin Gunter who went 3-for-4 with two home runs and four RBIs and Newton who went 2-for-3 with five RBIs.
Sarah Lancour (5-3) won her fourth-consecutive game of the season, giving up one run on one hit while striking out nine.
In the nightcap against Houston, a fielder's choice in the top of the third scored Ryan Kos to make the score 1-0. Kos had a textbook slide, diving just outside the outstretched glove of the catcher, Elaina Nordstrom.
The Cougars gained momentum in the bottom of the fourth, loading the bases with only one out. But Katie Ann Trahan worked out of the jam and retired the last two batters to conserve the 1-0 lead through four.
Texas State (10-5) added a run in the sixth and two runs in the seventh, off a Hromadka two-run shot to right center that stretched the lead to 4-0.
That's all the Bobcats would need, as Trahan retired three of the final four batters, to pick up her fifth win of the season.
Trahan (5-2) pitched her fourth complete-game shutout of the season, giving up two hits while striking out 12 batters.
Texas State resumes play at the Crowne Plaza Classic on Saturday, when they take on BYU at 9 a.m. and Wichita State at 1 p.m.
