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Dolfo Homers, Kubesch Throws Shutout in 1-0 Victory
March 4, 2007
Box Score in PDF Format
For Immediate Release Memphis (14-7) 000 001 0 - 1 5 1 UC Riverside (10-10) 000 000 0 - 0 4 1 WP - Kubesch (9-3). LP - Radabaugh (0-2). Save - None. 2B - (MEM) Kelso (4) HR - (MEM) Dolfo (2) SAN DIEGO, Calif. - A solo home run from San Diego native Leila Dolfo and scoreless pitching from Jenna Kubesch aided the University of Memphis softball team in a 1-0 shutout over UC Riverside on Sunday at the University of San Diego Tournament. The Lady Tigers finished the tournament 4-1 and improve to 14-7 overall. Kubesch pitched all seven innings and struck out seven en route to her second-straight shutout. The senior scattered four hits, and with the help of an outstanding defensive play in the fifth inning, never allowed a base runner to reach third. Only two UCR players managed to reach second in the game. "She kept us in this game," said Memphis head coach Windy Thees. "It's hard to stay in those games sometimes. (UCR) had a pitcher who was really tough on us, and we had a hard time timing her. We were way out front. We knew we were going to get to her. It was just a matter of time." With the seven innings of scoreless pitching, Kubesch caps off a spectacular week that saw the Weimar, Texas native allow no earned runs in 28 innings of work. She currently has an 18-inning scoreless streak and is 4-0 in the week with 23 strikeouts and a .147 opposing team batting average. "Jenna is just in a zone right now, and hopefully we can keep her in it all year long," Thees said. "Our fielders feel confident behind her." Playing in her home town and in front of several family and friends, Dolfo provided all the fireworks Memphis would need to pull off the victory. After both teams remained scoreless through the first five innings, the sophomore shortstop drilled a two-out solo home run to left center in the top of the sixth to give the Lady Tigers the game-winner. Dolfo went 2-for-3 in the game. "When you have every member of your family here and it numbers the size of a football team, it's really great to see something like that happen in front of them," Thees said. "She got smarter in each at bat and knew what the girl was going to be throwing to her. She waited on it, and got it done. I'm very proud of her." Before Memphis took the lead in the sixth, senior third baseman Bridgette McNulty began a run-saving double play for the Lady Tigers in the bottom of the fifth. With no outs and a runner on first, Cassi Greenawalt laid down a bunt a few feet in front of home plate. McNulty slipped going after the ball and threw to first from a sitting position to putout the batter. The runner tried for third on the play and was thrown out with Kubesch covering at third and making the tag. With the bases now empty, UCR's Tricia Adgar then singled up the middle. "We always say, `Stay composed and make the play,'" Thees said. "When (McNulty) started to throw it, I was a little bit worried, but she's so strong. Then for Jenna to cover third, we did all the things we practice and practice. Usually in games like this you forget, and it all goes out the window. But they did it, and they executed it. We then tried to ride that momentum, and in the next inning, we did just that." The Lady Tigers now have the week off for spring break and return to action at home on Tuesday, March 13 in a doubleheader against Lipscomb at Greenbrook Park in Southaven, Miss., beginning at 5 p.m. Memphis will then begin conference play at UTEP on March 17. Notes
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Memphis Tigers
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