May 10, 2002
MIAMI - New Mexico State scored three times with two outs in its final at bat Friday to earn a 3-0 softball victory over Western Kentucky University in an elimination game at the Sun Belt Conference Tournament at University Park.
The Aggies (20-42) will face Middle Tennessee in another elimination game at 3 p.m. (CDT). The Hilltoppers end the season 37-22. Although Western won the season series, 3-2, NMSU has won the last two meetings between the two schools.
The game was a scoreless duel between Allison Silver and Anita Knight until the Aggies broke through for three runs in the bottom of the sixth inning. Silver hit Tiffany Ruiz with one out, and after a sacrifice bunt Heather Nobbe drew a walk. Kelly Rhyne then doubled into the gap in right-center field to give NMSU a 1-0 lead. Christine Stephens was walked intentionally walked to load the bases before Jodi Spino hit a two-run single just past second base.
Knight retired the side in the seventh inning, earning the complete-game victory to move to 8-32. She allowed five hits and a walk with one strikeout.
Riley Garcia had three of the Hilltoppers' five hits, her 20th multiple-hit game of the season. It's the 10th time this season, and 12th in her two-year career, that the outfielder has recorded a career high three hits. Jessie Richardson and Shelly Floyd accounted for WKU's other two hits.
Silver - who had allowed only four baserunners in the first five innings - gave up four hits and three walks to fall to 17-11. The left-hander finished her sophomore year with 131 strikeouts, which ranks third on the Hilltopper season record list.
The loss marks the first time in three years that Western has not won at least one game at the conference tournament.
- WKU -
