Shocker SB at Texas Invitational

[WuDrWu]

Morgan Palmer gets a favorable call on a grounder to short and it's 1 on and 1 out. Mackenzie Wright at the dish.

Mac had a couple of decent cuts, worked the count full then struckout looking on a borderline pitch. The UT pitcher has several effective but not overpowering pitches.

Next hitter bloop single and Morgan alertly moves to 3rd.

Bailee Nickerson at the plate. Strike looking, ball outside. Ball just low (Wright NOT happy about the call lol). 2-1. Foul ball 2-2. Fouled an off speed pitch left up. That was a mistake that Bailee missed. Long foul ball. 2-2 Out in front fouled off. Still 2-2. Fastball outside she fouled off another one. Slow change misses way outside. 3-2. Ball 4. Great at bat.

Laurie to the plate. Bases loaded. BIG at bat. Wright pours in a heater on the black. Damned near hit her with the 2nd pitch. 1-1. Fastball at the knees, strike 2. Fouled off a good fastball just outside. 1-2. Fought off a fastball inside. Still 1-2. Shocks were 1-11 with runners in scoring position earlier today. Derico fouls off another good fastball. 1-2. Great cut but just missed it, fouled back. We'll do it again. 1-2. Derico tears the cover off the ball and lines it off the wall for a 2 run double. Only reason the bases weren't cleared is because she hit it so damned hard.

2nd and 3rd with 2 outs. Madison up. Missed outside, then fastball for a strike. 1-1 Good change up for strike 2 looking. Fastball outside. 2-2. Change up fouled off. Madison is battling. A basehit probably ties it. Fastball JUST outside and it's full. Big at bat. Foul out to the 1st baseman. 4-2 Texas bottom 3.

[WuDrWu]

Interviewing Kristi during the bottom of the 3rd. Pretty cool. Bingham in the circle. Ball, wild pitch, first good one ripped down the line and it's a double.

Washington up. Good strike. Low off speed. Bunt try foul. 1-2. Ground out to 2nd. Runner on 3rd one out.

Just showed the out with the bases loaded earlier today. WSU girl checked her swing, may have been hit, called out swinging. Unbelievably bad call costing the Shocks at least 1 run. Wow that was bad.

Strike, ball, strike, ball, ball. Ripped double and it's 5-2 runner on 2nd. Caitlin struggles throwing her offspeed tonight...it's basically just a 30 foot roller. She's not fooling anyone so far.

Lots of balls in the dirt. Ball, ball. Kristi to the mound. No help. Wild pitch, walk.

1st and 3rd still only 1 out. Strike and we're getting a pitching change. Bailey Klitzke on to see what she can do.

More of the same. Bounces the first one (GREAT stop by the catcher). Strike. Foul on a good fastball. Curve low and outside. Good fastball fouled out to the catcher.

Nice play by the shortstop on a swinging bunt to end the inning. 5-2 Horns.

[WuDrWu]

Caitlin starts off with a solid single to left. Asia up. Stike, ball, ball then JUST misses a drive down the line by a couple of feet at the wall. 2-2...JUST low. It's full. Pulls one foul. We'll do it again. Ball just outside. 1st and 2nd nobody out. Klitzke up. Fastball strike one (showing bunt). Fouled bunt...that HURTS. Both pitches could have, should have been sacrifices. Outside ball 1. 1-2. Low and outside. 2-2. Low and inside and it's full. Wow. Great chance here. Low ball four and they are loaded again. Mound trip.

Shocks are being VERY patient and Wright is rewarding them. Palmer up. Strike one. Slap out fly to short, one down.

Mac up. Ball high. Mac looks ready to hit right now. Strike fastball inside corner. 1-1. Mac should have turned on that one and taken the lead. Low and outside, 2-1. Be ready to hit the 1. Damn it. Watched the same fastball in and it's 2-2. I knew it was going to be there...grrr. Low and inside and it's full. Yikes! 9th full count this game. 100 pitches. Swings at ball four and just misses a bases clearing double foul off 3rd. Do it again. Fly out to the 2nd baseman....just missed the curve. Ryleigh Buck up. Foul ball. Up and in, 1-1. Takes a little off the fast ball right down main street. Looking strike 2. 1-2 Fouled off a good pitch down. 1-2. Ripped one foul. 1-2 Way outside. 2-2. Over 75 pitches last 2 innings. Ripped fastball again foul.

Lined double to the wall! One run in, two runs in, third at the plate....the throw.......misses the tag! 3 run double, tied at 5! Wright gets the hook.

[WuDrWu]

Chloe Romero in the circle for Texas. 5-5 2 outs top 4. Nickerson up. Ball, strike ball. Low and inside. Romero looks very hittable. 3-1. Way high ball four. !st and 2nd 2 outs.

Laurie Derico up. Ball high. Ball high. Derico just missed making it 8-5. Hanging offspeed pitch that she turned on and hit a medium depth fly out. New game, 5-5.

[WuDrWu]

1-2-3 bottom 4 (sorry for not much coverage). Going to the 5th still tied.

[WuDrWu]

Madison Perrigan leads off the 5th with a line drive down the 1st base line just out of the reach of the diving outfielder and it's all the way to the wall for a triple.

Caitlin up. Ball, ball, strike. Ground out to 2nd, Madison stays put. Asia Webber up. Ball one. High and ball 2. Excuse me check swing single to left and it's 6-5 Shocks!

Pitching change.

[WuDrWu]

Paige von Sprecken....I'm guessing their #2? Sac bunt. 2 outs runner at 2nd. Palmer up. Ball low. Low and outside. 2-0. Base hit!!!!!!! 7-5 Shocks!

Oh boy just missed a hanging offspeed pitch again. Flyout to center. Going to the bottom of the 5th, 7-5 Shockers.

[WuDrWu]

Ugh....ground ball and it's error, should have been an easy first out but von Sprecken is aboard. Washington up. Ball, ball. Looking to sacrifice. Fouled bunt. 2-1. Fly out to 2nd. 1 down.

Low outside. Ball 1. Strike. Ball 2. Strike. Klitzke honestly looks solid. Low and outside. It's full. Be nice to get this hitter who's been tearing it up. Tedder rips one, but right at Palmer who didn't move an inch. 2 down. Foul ball strike 1. Good fastball down and away. Pours in a fastball strike 2. Tries the corner and misses. 1-2. Punches her out. Going to the 6th 7-5 Shocks.

[WuDrWu]

Ryleigh up again. Strike one. Down but strike 2. Ground out, just out at 1st. Slow offspeed pitch ticketed for loitering right down the middle. Ground out to short and there's 2 down.

von Sprecken is at least throwing strikes. Laurie up. Ball, foul. 1-1. foul and a rise ball for the K. Bottom 6 still 7-5 Shocks.

[WuDrWu]

Foul ball, ball, Ball high. Texas looks like they are trying to be more patient. Off speed just a bit high (looked good to me). 3-1. Swing late and it's full. Just stayed alive fouling one off. Ground out to short. Klitzke's foot is coming off the rubber a little early according to announcers (I don't know the rules). Swinging unintentional bunt we can't get to. Runner on first, 1 out.

Big lefty freshman strides to the plate for Texas. She's a menacing presence. Ball, strike. Janae Jefferson is 0-3. BUNTS! (shocked!) Klitzke fields, no one covering, 2nd base gets there late and we barely make the play...whew. 2 down runner on 2nd.

Strike. Running swing foul and it's 0-2. Another running swinging foul. And another. High and away, 1-2. Mound visit. Texas Fight. Rise ball and Hayter doesn't bite. 2-2. Ground ball to 2nd and a nice quick NEEDED pick up and she's out at 1st. Going to the 7th Shocks will try to add to their 7-5 lead.

[WuDrWu]

Madison Perrigan digs in against Paige von Sprecken leading off the 7th. Strike right down the middle. Low ball 1. Another strike right down the middle. 1-2. Great cut but a little late. 1-2. Fastball a little high. 2-2. Offspeed freezes Madison. Looked a little up and outside, but she's rung up. Same pitch, 43 mph, just a shade left and it's ball 1. 61 mph heater right down the middle. Bingham fouls off another offspeed pitch. 1-2. Rise ball check swing K. Makes a difference getting ahead. Asia up and drives one to short but it's a 1-2-3 7th and 2 runs will be all they have going to the last of the 7th.

Horns coming to the plate needing 2 to tie, 3 to win. Klitzke comes back out looking for the win.

[WuDrWu]

Seriously, went to get an iced tea, and it's a 5 pitch 7th (strike, flyout, HPB, ball, double play) and the Shocks get a nice road win at Texas 7-5. Honestly, that AWFUL call in the first game may have prevented the best day in Shocker baseball history, idk. That's a nice win ladies!

Madison caught the foul at the netting and the runner at first tried to advance and she was out on a great throw. Kind of a silly try needing 2 runs.

[1972Shocker]

Really nice win. Sounds like an unusual DP to end the game. Described on live stats as a foul pop to the C with the runner who was on 1B out C to SS. Not sure how Laurie got involved. Perhaps the runner took off on a steal attempt and was hung out to dry when the batter popped out to Butters????

Two big things IMO. 1. Shocker bats came to life. 2. Bailey Klitzke with probably her best outing as a Shocker.

[WuDrWu]

If it wasn't her best outing, I can't imagine her being any better. Mixed up her pitches, kept them off balance, but her fast ball was live. I can't remember UT squaring her up even once.

Texas pitching certainly helped us with the free passes, no doubt. But the ladies were being patiently aggressive, best as I can put it. They weren't getting fooled much by Wright. von Sprecken was another story, but she was far from unhittable for our girls. Klitzke was certainly the better pitcher today (maybe von Sprecken is better most days...she is certainly more powerful).

Fun to watch.....I wish we had a network like that (yeah, I know we aren't Texas). It was fun watching the girls compete.

[WuDrWu]

Ifs and buts, but this team is 2 pitches from being 8-3, and 2 of those losses to #1 undefeated at 10-0 Washington and a tough 2-0 loss to 13-0 Auburn.