Lathrop Fires Two-Hit Shutout in 5-0 Win

Sunday, March 9

Bowling Green, Ky.

5:00 PM

Western Kentucky University

Indiana State

3/9/2003 12:00:00 AM | Softball

March 9, 2003

Box Score

Bowling Green, Ky. - Freshman Adrienne Lathrop (5-2) pitched a complete game two-hit shutout as the Western Kentucky University softball team (7-10) improved to 4-1 on Sunday's with a 5-0 win over Indiana State. The Hilltopper offense came up with big hits when needed, while capitalizing on six Sycamore errors, to close the Big Red Blast with a 2-2 record.

Sophomore Shelly Floyd gave Lathrop all the run support she would need, tallying her sixth multiple-RBI game of the season by driving in freshmen Natasha Sevco and Jennifer Ballance in the bottom of the third.

Junior Riley Garcia picked up a single in the bottom of the first to extend her hit streak to 10 games. It was the third career hit streak of 10 or more games for Garcia, who holds the school record with a 14-game streak. Both Garcia and junior Allison Silver earned a spot on the Big Red Blast's all-tournament team.

Lathrop's first career shutout came after a shaky start in the top of the first in which she followed a leadoff groundout by surrendering a single and then walking the following batter. Fortunately for the Hilltoppers, the frosh hurler settled down and escaped the inning by a forcing a pop up and then striking out the next two batters, respectively. Lathrop would allow just two more batters to reach base over the next six innings, on a single and a walk, and closed the game by retiring the final 11 batters.

East Tennessee State claimed the 2003 Big Red Blast championship by finishing the tournament at 3-1 and winning the head-to-head tie breaker with Eastern Illinois, who also finished at 3-1. ETSU's Dani Spetar was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player after leading the Bucs to the title with a .583 batting average. The Bucs centerfielder finished the tournament with a .643 on-base percentage, .667 slugging percentage, eight total bases and two RBI.

BIG RED BLAST RECAP

Team  W-L   Runs For/Against   Diff.ETSU  3-1*      13-15            -2EIU   3-1        13-7            +6WKU   2-2       20-12            +8WIU   2-2       18-15            +3ISU   0-4        2-17           -15*ETSU won the head-to-head game with EIU and is the tournament champion.
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMDani Spetar, East Tennessee State, Most Outstanding PlayerTiffany McVay, East Tennessee StateJanine Sprague, East Tennessee StateKristen Becker, Eastern IllinoisKristin Lovering, Eastern IllinoisRiley Garcia, Western KentuckyAllison Silver Western KentuckyMo Troller, Western IllinoisJen Tyrell, Western IllinoisJill Weiss, Indiana State

- WKU -