April 28, 2001
RUSTON, La. - Lindsey Meadows threw a three-hit shutout and scored the game-winning run Saturday to lead Louisiana Tech to a 2-0 Sun Belt Conference softball victory over Western Kentucky University and a sweep of a four-game weekend series at Lady Techsters Softball Complex.
Tech (20-25, 4-12 Sun Belt) defeated the Hilltoppers, 3-2, in the first game of the doubleheader -- the four-game winning streak is the longest for the Lady Techsters since they won eight consecutive games from March 23-April 5 prior to the start of league play. Since defeating New Mexico State, 7-4, to begin conference play March 31, WKU (20-32, 1-15 SBC) has lost 15 straight Sun Belt contests, including nine by two runs or fewer and eight by shutout.
Meadows allowed just three Toppers to reach at least second base -- Melissa Gomes doubled with two outs in the opening inning of the second contest and Western put runners on second and third in the sixth. The right-hander walked one and struck out five to move to 10-9 on the season.
The Lady Techsters put together three hits around a pair of sacrifice bunts to jump out to a 2-0 advantage in the second inning, giving Meadows all the support she would need. Meadows singled to start the rally, moved up to second on a passed ball and third when Bonnie Wilson laid down a sacrifice. Missy Ladd doubled to left center to plate the game's first run, later scoring when Casey Reiff reached on a bunt single.
WKU threatened in the sixth when Riley Garcia doubled -- extending her school-record hitting streak to 14 games -- and Kristalyn Smith walked to open the frame, but Meadows got the Hilltoppers to hit three consecutive ground balls to escape the jam.
Allison Silver (8-13) took the loss in game two, giving up two runs on six hits and a pair of walks in 6.0 innings.
Tech took a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first of game one when Reiff led off with an infield single and scored three batters later as Jennifer LaRussa reached on a fielder's choice. The Hilltoppers answered with a run in their half of the second with a pair of two-out hits -- Veronica Giddens singled to short and Shanon Searle followed with a double to right field. Wilson singled up the middle in the fifth to plate pinch runner Sarah Thibodeaux from second and scored two batters later when Ladd reached on Amy Tudor's throwing error to give Tech a 3-1 advantage.
The Toppers rallied for a run in the seventh, beginning the frame with three straight singles, before Marla Pinkston got out of the jam. Smith began the inning with a single down the left-field line and moved to second when Angela Dunhour also singled. Smith scored on Garcia's base hit off third baseman Miranda Knight, but WKU stranded runners at second and third to end the game.
Pinkston (5-8) picked up her second win in as many days over WKU, scattering 10 hits and a walk with three strikeouts. Giddens (10-11) dropped below .500 for the first time this season, allowing three runs (two earned) on six hits. She struck out five in her second one-run loss to Pinkston of the weekend.
Cassie Palmer tied a season high with two hits to push her hitting streak to seven (it would come to an end in the second game), and Gomes also picked up two base hits for Western. Eight Hilltoppers reached base safely as WKU outhit the Lady Techsters for the second straight game.
Ladd and LaRussa each posted two hits to pace Tech in the opener. The Lady Techsters three runs were the most they've scored in 18 games, since a 5-2 defeat of Belmont in the first game of an April 5 doubleheader.
WKU will be off next week for finals before concluding the regular season with a four-game Sun Belt series against Middle Tennessee. The opening game of Friday's doubleheader is set to begin at 5 p.m. (CDT) Friday, while the Hilltoppers will celebrate Senior Day prior to the first pitch of Saturday's 1 p.m. twinbill.
-- WKU --
