Valle Strikes Out Career High in 5-1 Victory over Mississippi Valley State

Sunday, March 6

Starkville, Miss.

2 PM

University of Memphis

13-4

Mississippi Valley State

5-8

Memphis

Miss. Valley State

Senior LHP Janelle Valle struck out a career best nine hitters in a 5-1 victory over Mississippi Valley State.

Valle Strikes Out Career High in 5-1 Victory over Mississippi Valley State

Mar 06, 2011 | Softball

Box Score

March 6, 2011

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STARKVILLE, Miss. - Janelle Valle struck out a career high nine batters, as the University of Memphis earned a 5-1 victory over Mississippi Valley State in the Bulldog Classic on Sunday.

Valle (3-2) did not allow an earned run in the game, scattering three hits and walking two. The senior's previous career high of eight strikeouts came against another SWAC opponent, Arkansas Pine Bluff in 2009. She has now thrown 18 1/3 consecutive innings without giving up an earned run.

The Tigers (13-4) split their games in the Bulldog Classic after falling 1-0 in nine innings to No. 22 Texas A&M in the first game of the day. Memphis pitchers combined for 28 strikeouts in the two games without allowing an earned run. Sophomore Carly Hummel set a school record with 19 strikeouts against Texas A&M. Both Valle and Hummel were named to the Bulldog Classic All-Tournament team.

Memphis took a 1-0 lead in the first inning against MVSU. Lelani Bernardino led off the inning with a walk and scored from second on a two-out fielding error at second base on a ball hit by Jessica Phillips. The Tigers scored a second run in the second inning when a pickoff attempt on Kailey Kassner at third went into the outfield.

MVSU gained a run back in the bottom of the third to cut the Memphis lead to 2-1. Ninth-hole hitter Diana Parada tripled to right center and scored on a throwing error at second base. Parada was one of only two Mississippi Valley State players to reach scoring position in the game.

Memphis scored two more runs in the top of the fourth, all with two outs. Kassner reached on a fielding error at third. Alex Marshall walked and Bernardino was hit by the pitch to load the bases. Ijiah Hargrove then walked to score Kassner, and Heather Mott hit a fielder's choice to short that scored Marshall.

Ashleigh King scored the fifth Memphis run in the fifth inning after reaching on a walk. Following a walk to Kassner, Alyssa Palmieri hit a sac bunt to the pitcher to advance the runners, but the throw went off of Palmieri and allowed King to claim the extra base.

Memphis will next travel to North Carolina to play a single game at North Carolina State on Thursday at noon. The Tigers will then open Conference USA play at East Carolina in a three-game series on Saturday and Sunday.