Sunday, April 6, 2008

Texarkana College fights back for split

Texarkana College fights back for split

It was a case of missed opportunities for Texarkana College as the Bulldogs dropped a 2-1 decision in its opening game against San Jacinto Saturday at Spring Lake Park.

TC rallied back against the Coyotes in the nightcap to post an 11-10 win in 12 innings for the split.

The Bulldogs (22-15, 10-5) host Blinn College (30-9, 15-3), which leads the Region XIV South Zone, in another doubleheader today at 11 a.m.



FIRST GAME

San Jacinto 2, Texarkana 1

The Coyotes took advantage of two big errors in the fourth inning for its only runs, while the Bulldogs missed several scoring opportunities. TC stranded nine runners on base, wasting a strong pitching performance by Lacey Lang.

A sophomore right-hander, Lang struck out 10 and allowed just three hits. Both runs were unearned, due to the two errors in the Coyotes’ two-run, fourth.

In the Coyotes’ fourth, Tasha Rotramel led off with a single and Janet Rendon reached on an error.

Brittany Boren sacrificed the runners to second and third. Winning pitcher Kelsey McClain hit a slow roller to first and the throw home was high, and both runners scored on the play.

Texarkana’s only run came in the bottom half of the fourth on a home run by Misti Cosby over the centerfield fence.

After the home run, Lang and Roxanna Holley singled and a wild pitch put runners on second and third with just one out. But McClain retired the next two batters on a groundout and strikeout.

The Bulldogs missed another great opportunity in the sixth. A base hit by Lang was followed by an error and a walk to load the bases with one out. Again, McClain got out of the inning without further damage.



San Jacinto 000 200 0 — 2 3 1

Texarkana 000 100 0 — 1 6 4

Kelsey McClain and Krystal Plummer. Lacey Lang and Kristyn Adney. WP-McClain. LP-Lang. HR: Texarkana, Cosby, 4th, none on.



SECOND GAME

Texarkana 11, San Jacinto 10

The visitors took a 5-0 lead with two runs in the first inning and three more in the second, knocking out TC starter Jessica Upchurch. Lang came on in relief and went the rest of the way.

Texarkana fought back with a single run in the third and added two more in fourth to pull within, 5-3.

San Jacinto took a 6-3 lead with a run in the top of the fifth before the Bulldogs bounced back to tie it up with three runs in the bottom half.

Upchurch led off the fifth, reaching on an error and Haley Nix followed with a single. Cosby ripped a single to right and when the ball got past the rightfielder, both runners scored. With one away, Lang blooped a hit over the shortstop to drive in Cosby with the tying run.

Each team added a pair of runs in the sixth to keep the scored tied, 8-8. Nix drove in the first run with a double to centerfield and Cosby’s single tied the game.

Neither team scored in the seventh, sending the game into extra innings.

San Jacinto went on top with two runs in the eighth on an RBI single by Brittany Boren and a throwing error by the pitcher on the next batter allowed Boren to score.

The never-say-die Bulldogs fought back with two runs on two hits to tie the game again, 10-10.

With one away, Upchurch struck out, but reached when the ball got past the catcher. Nix followed with a single and Cosby drove in both runners with a double to right-center.