The NAIA's 13th ranked University of Houston-Victoria Jaguars struggled to put it all together today, during opening day play at the three day Orange Beach Classic in Alabama.
The Jags dropped game one to Faulkner University eight to seven in an extra inning. The struggles started early, but the Jags were able to tie it late.
Pitcher Baylea Wagener gave up 3 runs in the first inning and was relieved by Emily Bergstrom who got the Jags out of trouble. The Eagles were able to push 4 more runs across the plate before the Lady Jags answered back in the top of the fifth inning with 6 runs.
Catcher Brittany Faas led off the inning with a single up the middle. Claire McGee, Bergstrom, Izzy Glowney and pinch-hitter Tasha Rotramel all followed with singles to close the gap to five, at seven to two. Junior third baseman Allison Hinton then hit a grand slam to bring the Jaguars within one run.
In the sixth, Faas hit her second home run of the season. The solo blast tied the game at seven.
The game stayed that way through seven innings and the game went to extra innings. The International Tie Breaker (ITB) was instituted in the top of the eighth. Under ITB rules, the last batter in the seventh inning is placed on second base. So Hinton started the inning at second base but was unable to score the go ahead run after a botched sacrifice bunt follows by two strikeouts. Faulkner University was able to move their ITB runner from second to third and plated the winning run on a walk-off base hit up the middle.
Bergstrom (3-2) took the loss.
In the second game, the Jags fell three to nothing to 18th ranked University of Mobile. Pitcher Tasha Rotramel (6-3) gave up 5 hits and struck out 5. The Jags were limited to two hits and left 5 runners stranded. Rotramel and McGee accounted for the two Jaguars' hits, both singles.
"It's early in the tournament and we can still turn things around," said Jaguars' head coach Keri Lambeth. "Tomorrow we must put it all together. Play good defense, and if our pitchers struggle, our bats need to bail them out."
The Jaguars return to the field tomorrow for two games. The first, at ten in morning, against 24th ranked Campbellsville University and a 3 p.m. tilt versus fellow Association of Independent Institution conference member Ohio Dominican.
