May 12, 2007

Box Score

HUNTSVILLE -

Despite forcing a second game against No. 2 seed Sam Houston State with an 8-0 win, the No. 3 seed Bobcats came up short in the 2007 Southland Conference Tournament Championship game with a 1-0 loss to the Bearkats.

Texas State (32-26) reeled off three straight wins to avoid elimination, but SHSU (37-24) stopped the Bobcats' NCAA bid short with the 1-0 win.

SHSU scored the eventual game-winning run in the second inning after Mandy Collier led off with a double to left center field. A sacrifice and RBI single by Tanya Hooser followed to plate pinch runner Tiffani Woodrum for the 1-0 lead.

Texas State nearly tied it in the fourth when Leah Boatright hit a towering fly ball to center field, but SHSU's Stephanie Mosley reached up over the wall and appeared to make the grab, but the ball came loose when Mosley hit the fence. Her efforts kept the ball in the park though, robbing Boatright of her second home run in as many days. Bearkat starter and Tournament MVP Brandi Crnkovic then struck out Jetta Weinheimer to end the threat and preserve the lead.

The Bobcats threatened again in the seventh after a lead off walk and sacrifice moved Haley Koop to second with the tying run, but Crnkovic retired Weinheimer and Alex Newton for the win.

Ragan Blake (26-15) took the loss for the `Cats, giving up one earned run on just three hits and two walks while striking out three. Crnkovic (19-11) also allowed three hits with one walk and four strikeouts for SHSU.

The teams needed two games after Texas State run-ruled the Bearkats by an 8-0 score to avoid elimination. Taylor hit a two-run homer in the top of the first, and Tamara Keller added a tworun double as the Bobcats staked a 4-0 lead after half an inning. Four more runs came in the fourth off SHSU's Morgan Mikulin, as Kristina Tello and Weinheimer each hit RBI singles before Newton drove in two more runs with a double.

Elizabeth Dennis pitched a perfect fifth inning in relief of Blake, who earned the win after allowing only one hit in four innings. Mikulin (17-12) allowed five earned runs on 12 hits in the loss.

Taylor, Newton, Boatright, Weinheimer and Blake were all named to the All-Tournament Team. UTSA's Jessica Rogers and UTA's Kristin Moore and Dee Jay Nelson also made the team, as did SHSU's Hooser, Crnkovic and Lauren Burns.

The Bobcats' 3-2 tournament record marked the first time since 2002 that Texas State had won three games in the SLC Tournament, and the Bobcats also finished with a 30-win season for the sixth time in Ricci Woodard's seven seasons as head coach.