Lady Aggies fall in twinbill opener to TWU

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DENTON, Texa (Feb. 5) – Coach Gladys Crawford's Cameron softball team got its 2005 season off to a sluggish start Saturday.

The Lady Aggies managed just six hits and three total runs against Texas Woman's University, dropping both ends of a doubleheader by scores of 4-0 and 11-3. Saturday's second contest was shortened by run-rule in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Cameron will look to crack the win column on Wednesday, hosting Abilene Christian in a doubleheader scheduled to begin at 2 p.m.

In their first action of the season, the Lady Aggies struggled offensively. Texas Woman's pitcher Lindsy Russ-Keller took a no-hitter into the sixth inning of Saturday's first contest and Cameron failed to produce a run until the second inning of the nightcap. The Pioneers, meanwhile, tagged Cameron pitchers for 20 hits and seven earned runs.

In Game 1, Yukon senior Nicole Fleming broke up Russ-Keller's no-hit bid, taking a 2-2 pitch up the middle for a single. But after a Vanessa Rodriguez bunt and a ground-out by Stephanie Bour, Fleming was left stranded on third when two straight Lady Aggie batters were retired.

Texas Woman's jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the second. Sarah White laced a two-run triple and scored on a sacrifice fly by Rhonda Sherman. The Pioneers made it 4-0 in the fourth on an RBI single by Amanda Arnold.

The Lady Aggies appeared ready to forge a split in the season-opening series early in the second contest. Cameron jumped on TWU starter Amanda Chambless with a two-out rally in the second inning, scoring three runs on three hits to take a 3-0 lead. Kelly Holden's two-out single was followed by walks to Melinda Farrow and Jessica Hutton. Rodriguez then doubled in a pair of runs and Farrow scored on an RBI single by Bour.

But the lead proved to be short-lived. Texas Woman's answered with three runs in the bottom of the third to tie the game, then broke it open with a seven-run fourth. Cameron committed a pair of errors in each frame. All seven of the Pioneers' runs in the fourth inning were unearned.

TWU ended the second game with a run in the bottom of the fifth. Rachel Townsend led off the frame with a double to center off Cameron reliever Lindsay Williams. Two batters later, Amanda Denesi's RBI single up the middle ended the game by run rule.