Spring Break
Softball picks up series win over Tulsa
Staff Reports
Issue date: 4/7/09 Section: Sports
|
Toni Paisley, 19-4, struck out 12 batters and Jessica Johnson drove in two runs in game one to lead the Pirates (26-9, 11-3 C-USA) to the 3-1 victory. In the second game, a defensive hold that limited the Golden Hurricane (21-13, 6-4 C-USA) to just one run after loading the bases with no outs gave the Pirates the 2-1 win. Brooke Swann picked up the win in the second contest and improved to 5-1.
Johnson finished her day with two hits, two runs batted in and one home run. Her solo shot in game one was the 30th of her career, putting her in sole possession of second in school history and tied for seventh in C-USA. The two runs batted in moved her into a tie for eighth in C-USA history and her two hits moved her into a tie for ninth on ECU's all-time list.
Paisley also moved up the ECU career-record lists as her victory in game one gave her 44 in her career and put her seventh in program history.
In game one, Johnson's solo home run to left field provided the Pirates with a 1-0 lead in the first inning. ECU added another run in the bottom of the second as Cristen
Aona led off with a walk and scored on Paisley's double to right center. The double for Paisley was her fourth straight hit, all of which went for extra bases.
The Golden Hurricane hit two-out singles in the second and third innings, but neither runner advanced past first base.
In the top of the fourth, Tulsa broke through with a run to make the score 2-1. Brooke Smart singled up the middle with two outs and scored on Christian Timmons' double to left field. The run snapped Paisley's scoreless innings streak at 22.1 frames and the ECU pitching staff's streak at 35.
Paisley responded in the top of the fifth by striking out the side in order.
ECU had its own two-out rally in the bottom of the fifth to get the run back and take a 3-1 lead. Christina Merrida hit a one-out single and moved to second on Charina Sumner's groundout. Marina Gusman-Brown was then hit by a pitch, putting runners on first and second with two outs. Johnson followed with a bloop single into center field that plated Merrida.
Be the first to comment on this story