Delaware State came close to their first postseason victory however the Texas Longhorns scored two late runs to earn a 3-2 win in the 2008 NCAA Division I Softball Tournament at the University of Houston. The Longhorns (29-22-2) stay alive in the four-team Houston Regional, while the Hornets (29-25; 10-5 MEAC North) is eliminated in its first NCAA Tournament appearance.
The Hornets led 2-1 before Texas rallied for two runs in the top of the sixth inning.
“A few weeks ago we were wondering whether we would win a game in the MEAC Tournament, and here we are giving a national power such as Texas all it could handle in the NCAAs,” said Delaware State head coach Jeff Savage. “Our girls gave everything they had, but Texas is a big-time program with a lot of fight.”
The Longhorns, making their fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance and ninth overall, are seeking their fifth trip to the College World Series.
The Hornets showed early on that Friday’s 9-0 loss to Houston, in which they failed to get a base runner, was behind them.
Delaware State had its first runner of the tournament when Texas starter Brittany Barnhill walked Andrea Waters with one out in the bottom of the first inning. The Hornets loaded the bases with one out, but Barnhill forced JoJo Shields and Aisha Holloman to ground out to get out of the jam.
Texas scored first when Amy Hooks smacked a solo homer over the left field fence off Delaware State starter Brittney Ruark (15-12) with one out in the top of the second inning. Later in the inning, the Longhorns had a runner at third with one out, but Ruark struck out Crystal Saenz and got Loryn Johnson to ground out to end the threat.
Despite allowing one base runner in each frame, Ruark kept the Longhorns off the board in the third and fourth innings
Delaware State’s bats finally came alive in the last of the fourth. Sha Tabor led off the inning with a single to right center, the Hornets’ first hit of the tournament. Tabor moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Shields. Holloman then stepped to plate and blasted a two-run homer to right center off Barnhill to give the Hornets a 2-1 lead and send the DSU dugout into a frenzy.
“I wasn’t trying to hit a home run, just have a good at bat and make contact,” said Holloman, who hit a three-run homer in Delaware State’s 3-0 MEAC Tournament clinching win over Norfolk State a week ago. “The pitch was similar to the one I hit in the MEACs, up and on the outside part of the strike zone. We really needed a lift and I was glad to be able to come through.”
The Hornets failed to capitalize on a golden opportunity in the last of the fifth inning. Sherelle Sheppard led off the fifth with an infield single and advanced to second base when Megan Lambertz reached on a fielder’s choice. Texas then replaced Barnhill with All-Big 12 pitcher Megan Denny, who retired Waters and Nicole Demers on fly balls, then struck out Tabor to keep the Hornets from pulling further ahead.
Texas, 19-9 all-time in NCAA regional contests, regained the lead in the top of the sixth. The Longhorns put their first two batters on base. Two batters later, Crystal Saenz singled up the middle, scoring Amy Hooks to tie the game at 2-2. Desiree Williams followed with a sacrifice fly on a running catch by DSU left fielder Megan Lambertz to give the Longhorns a 3-2 lead.
Shields walked to lead off the bottom of the sixth for the Hornets, but pinch runner Kendra Goss could not advance when Denny struck out Holloman, Courtney Taylor and Ruark in order to retire the side.
Denny put down the Hornets 1-2-3 in the seventh. She retired nine of the 10 batters she faced, six by strikeout, to improve to 21-10 on the season.
Ruark (15-12) was the tough-luck loser for the Hornets. She allowed just three runs and four hits, while striking out three, in seven innings.
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