Shocker SB v UTSA

[1972Shocker]

With 1 out a hit batter and a fly ball to left that was totally misplayed by Caroline put runners at 2nd and 3rd. After falling behind 2-0 HCKB paid a visit to the mound. Chloe responded with a strikeout on a great change up and then got a routine grounder to short to end the game.

Granted it was a light hitting UTSA team but good to see Chloe have a solid outing. She was sharper than Alex was in the1st game against this team and it was really good to see a good response to the little bit of adversity in the 5th.

Chloe gets the 5-inning shutout allowing only 2 hits, 7 K's, 0 walks and 2 hit by pitches. One of the hits was the misplayed fly ball in the 5th inning that fell untouched.

[flyingMoose]

Other Friday Games

Charlotte 1-4 East Carolina

Tulsa 0-1(8) North Texas
A home run on the first pitch of the bottom of the eighth wins this one for the Mean Green.

Weather has rearranged the schedule for a number of teams in addition to the Shockers.

[flyingMoose]

Game Three

[I am not here for any of this one either. Sigh.]

[1972Shocker]

Lauren Howell gets the start today. Let's home she can back up her last strart.

[1972Shocker]

Back-to-back home runs to left center by CC and Addie to start the bottom of the 1st put the Shocks up 2-0.

Caroline extends the lead to 3-0 with a home run to left leading off the Shockers' 2nd.

CC leads off the 3rd with a home run to left, her 2nd of the day followed one out later by a home run down the left filed line by Burbs.

The Shocks have 5 hits in the frist 3 innings. All are solo home runs.

Leading off the 4th Caroline is hit by a pitch, Jess double down the left field line with Caroline stopping at 3rd, Sophie singles to right driving in Caroline and moving Jess to 3rd and then Krystin walks to load the bases for CC Wong. And for the 3rd time in the game CC is Wong gone this time a grand slam and the Shocks lead is now 10 and the run-rule is in play for the 3rd consecutive game.

UTSA makes a pitching change but it doesn't help. Addie greets her with a single to left and Burbs goes oppo for her 2nd home run of the game to put the Shocks up 12-0. Perhaps time to let a couple of kids pinch hit. After Taylor fouled out to 3rd, Mady E pinch hits for Lainee and walks. UTSA makes another pitching change. Mila pinch hitting for Caroline worked a walk after falling behind in the count 1-2. Avery Barnard pinching hitting for Jess flied out to left for the 2nd out. Sophie Johnson then walks to reload the bases. Sydney Zenon, pinch hitting for Krystin, worked the count full before striking out on a foul tip held by the catcher.

Lauren works around a 2-out throwing error by Kristen by striking out the side to put an exclamation point on a 1-hit 5-inning shutout, and perhaps more importantly giving the Shocks a 2nd solid outing albeit against a very weak hitting UTSA team.

Gee, I wonder who will be the Player of the Game? Not.

Perhaps not the best opponent to prepare for OSU on Tuesday but the Shocks have not control over that and they did what they needed to do against an opponent like UTSA.

[shoxlax]

Howell was really good today. Shows you what I know.

[1972Shocker]

I guess it is appropriate that Lolo's single game home run record (shared with Addie) was tied by her mini-me. Although at this point C-Squared appears to overall be a significantly better hitter than Lolo. She probably will not hit the tape measure jobs Lolo could but she sure does time up and square up more than her fair share of pitches.

That Shocks have played 26 games and have 21 regular season games left on their scheudule. CC is hitting .500 with an OPS of 1.516, 942 SL%, .574 OB% all of which are tops for the Shockers. She leads the team in hits, runs, rbi, total bases, walks to strikeouts ratio, lowest strikeout to at bats ratio. She is tied with Addie with 10 home runs, has 1 of the Shockers 4 triples this year, is tied with Bailey for doubles with 6. Hard to imagine she will be able to maintain this pace.

By comparison Syd the Kid had an OPS of 1.294 in 2023 and 1.415 in 2022. In 2022, the year Addie set the program record of 33 home runs Addie had set the single season record for slugging % at 1.018 and had an OPS of 1.485.

Both Addie and CC have more home runs than strikeouts. Both have 10 homers. Addie has struck out 9 times and CC has only struck out 5 times.

So far CC is not having a good season, she is having a great season. Here is hoping it lasts. What an easy player to cheer for.

[flyingMoose]

Other Saturday Games

Florida Atlantic 12-1(5) Memphis

Florida Atlantic 7-1 Memphis

USF 6-4 UAB

USF 4-6 UAB

Tulsa 0-1 North Texas
Another walk-off homer for North Texas, this one in the bottom of the seventh. It was the only hit of the game for the Mean Green.

[WuDrWu]

Next 11 games are all against top 50 RPI opponents.

[1972Shocker]

Next 11 games are all against top 50 RPI opponents.

Make or break time. We've done okay with the makeshift lineup but I am not sure how that will hold up. Last Monday on her radio show HCKB said they hope to have Sami back by the Charlott series that starts next Thursday. I assume we will get an update on that this coming Monday. Hard to say if we would be getting a fully functioning Sami. Bound to be some rust. But at least that might allow us to normalize the defense somewhat.

I am actually more concerned about how our pitching will hold up. Lauren Howell has been much better in her last 2 outings but getting it done against ECU and UTSA is a far cry from getting id done against OU, Charlotte, Tulsa, USF and OSU. Really with we just don't know for sure what we are going to get from the entire pitching staff.

I'm thinking the best possible outcome would be 6-5 with the 6 wins coming in AAC games. Unfortunately, the worst possible outcome could be pretty bad.

[flyingMoose]

Sunday Games

Charlotte 11-1 East Carolina

Charlotte 2-4 (9) East Carolina
The Pirates hit a solo homer in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game

Florida Atlantic 18-1(5) Memphis
Thirteen runs in the first for the Owls

USF 5-7 UAB
UAB takes the series

Tulsa 2-3 North Texas
A sweep by the Mean Green!

[1972Shocker]

Glad the Shocks got their games in on Friday and Saturday.

[shocks02]

ECU swept Charlotte in Greenville. Don’t think anyone saw that coming.

[flyingMoose]

ECU swept Charlotte in Greenville. Don’t think anyone saw that coming.

No, Charlotte won the first game of the DH today. But the Pirates did take two of three after being swept by North Texas and the Shockers in the first two weeks of the conference schedule.

[1972Shocker]

ECU swept Charlotte in Greenville. Don’t think anyone saw that coming.

Actually ECU took 2 of 3. ECU won 4-1 on Friday. In today's DH Charlotte won the first game 11-1 although it went the full 7 innings. ECU game back and won the final game of the series 4-2 on a 2-run home run in the bottom of the 9th by their catcher Annie Kate Dalton.

A little surprised that ECU took 2 of 3 but I did not think ECU was toothless after seing them against the Shock and Annie Dalton was definetely one of their more dangerous offensive weapons.

Now, UTSA, they did look pretty much totally toothless. Now I am surprised they won a game against North Texas last Sunday.