The
junior right-hander pitched her second complete game and Tech defeated
Missouri State 7-1 in the rubber game of the season-opening series
Sunday at Mewborn Field.
Kleinschmidt,
who is the front-runner to replace the graduated Hope Rush as the
Yellow Jackets’ No. 1 starter, won twice over the weekend, including a
119-pitch, five-hitter Sunday.
The
visitors from Springfield, Missouri accomplished more in four batters
Sunday what they couldn’t in seven innings in a shutout loss to
Kleinschmidt Saturday. Ashley Brentz doubled with one out in the top of
the first, and two batters later, Stacia Boeckstiegel ripped an opposite
field single that chased home Brentz for a 1-0 lead. That was all
Kleinschmidt would allow, though she was far from perfect, scattering
four hits and four walks, while stranding two runners in four of her
final six innings of work.
After
pitching four shutout frames of relief in a victory Saturday, Missouri
State right-hander Erin Struemph had another scoreless outing going
through three innings.
The
Tech bats finally woke up in the bottom of the fourth. Alysha Rudnik
led off with a single and Karly Fullem followed with a line drive home
run to left field that gave the Yellow Jackets their first lead since
game one of the series. Katie Johnsky chased Struemph from the game with
a single and the hosts poured it on against reliever Chelsea Jones,
reaching base in six consecutive plate appearances, including
run-scoring singles from Colleen Darragh and Chelsie Thomas and a
two-run single in Rudnik’s second at bat of the frame that put the
Yellow Jackets up 6-1.
Hayley Downs picked up her third hit of the day in the fifth, which made it a 7-1 game.
The teams split the first two games of the series Saturday.
In
game two, Missouri State used a four-run third to go ahead for good and
defeated Tech 6-3. In the first victory for the Bears in school history
over Tech, Suzanne Allen started the top of the third by reaching on a
fielding error by Fullem at first base. That opened things up for
Missouri State, which after a sacrifice and a wild pitch, got an infield
single from Kerri Cunningham for one run, then an RBI-single by Heather
Duckworth and a booming run-scoring double off the top of the
right-field wall by Bethany Sullinger to put the Bears up 4-0.
Tech
answered with the long ball. After Missouri State starter Jessie Van Es
had retired the first two batters of the bottom of the third with
relative ease, Ashley Thomas poked an opposite field home run for the
Yellow Jackets’ first hit and run. Downs drew a walk and Rudnick
followed with a two-run blast that made it a 4-3 game. That was as close
as the Yellow Jackets would get. Missouri State added runs in the fifth
(Boeckstiegel’s bases-loaded walk) and sixth (Erin Duewel’s solo home
run) to go up 6-3.
Meanwhile,
Struemph came on in relief and was outstanding. She started the fourth
inning and walked Fullem and gave up a double to Johnsky to put runners
at second and third with no one out. But Struemph, a freshman from St.
Thomas, Missouri, struck out the bottom of the Tech in order in
succession to hang onto what was then just a one-run cushion.
Tech
managed to bring the tying run to the plate with one out in the
seventh, but Downs popped up a bunt attempt and Rudnick flied softly to
Duewel at shortstop to end the game.
Kleinschmidt tossed a complete game shut out in the opener as Tech won 3-0.
Kleinschmidt
surrendered just four hits and struck out six, while the Yellow Jackets
snapped a scoreless tie with a three-run sixth. Ashley Thomas, after
not homering at all during her Atlantic Coast Conference player of the
year campaign a year ago, ripped her first home run of the day and
Caitlyn Coffey had a two-run single in the bottom of the sixth for a 3-0
lead.
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