March 6, 2010

Box Score

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CLEARWATER, Fla. - Maddie McKinley continued her hot hitting and Lauren Carley and Carly Hummel earned a combined one-hitter as the University of Memphis softball team took a 2-1 victory over Loyola-Chicago on Saturday morning in the USF Under Armour Invitational.

McKinley went 3-for-3 in the game for her second-straight three hit performance to pace the Tigers. The third baseman drove in both U of M runs to help the squad battle back from a 1-0 deficit. She has seven hits in the three games thus far in the tournament hosted by USF at the Eddie C. Moore Complex.

Carley was cruising along and had one hit and six strikeouts in the first four innings. But in the top of the fifth, she took a line drive off the forehead on a ball hit by Kristen Medrud. Carley walked off the field on her own, but was taken out of the game as a precaution. Memphis still got the out on the play as Prestridge threw the runner out at first after the deflection.

Hummel entered the game in relief and pitched a perfect two and a third innings in relief with three strikeouts. The freshman earned the decision in the victory and improves to 5-2 on the season. Hummel and Carley combined for nine strikeouts in the game and Loyola had just one batter reach base.

The Tigers had a combined nine hits in the game and improve to 8-5 on the season, while Loyola falls to 2-6. Senior Leigh Rowan also had a pair of hits.

Amy Solava (1-3) took the loss and allowed two runs on nine hits with four strikeouts and two walks.

Memphis had its first chance to but runs on the board in the second inning. McKinley led off the frame with her first single of the day. But Vanessa Walle, who played first base, grounded into a double play at short with Keanah Prestridge and Alyssa Palmieri following with back-to-back singles.

Loyola scored the first run in the game in the third inning to take a 1-0 lead. Angie Funston led off the inning with the only hit for the Ramblers, a single up the middle. She then stole second after a strikeout, then stole third and scored an unearned run on a throwing error by the catcher.

The Tigers tied the game in their half of the inning, but a bad break prevented any more runs from scoring. Heather Mott looked to have reached first on a throwing error by third, but after rounding the bag, stepped off first on the return and was tagged out. Lelani Bernardino then followed with a two-out ground rule double over the right field fence. An infield single by Rowan, allowed McKinley to bring in the run on an RBI single up the middle. The Tigers stranded the bases loaded in the inning.

Memphis took the lead in the bottom of the fifth on an RBI single by McKinley. Mott led off the inning with a single to left field and advanced on a sac bunt by Bernardino. A single by Rowan moved Mott to third with one out. McKinley first hit a long fly ball in foul territory to left field that was let drop to prevent a sacrifice fly. With new life, McKinley laced the next pitch through the right side for her second RBI. Rowan later attempted to score on a wild pitch from third, but was thrown out on the play by the catcher.

The Tigers will next play Fordham at 12:30 p.m. today on Field 2. The game can be followed live through GameTracker. Live video is also available by subscription through USF.