Feb. 11, 2000

HONOLULU - Despite carrying a 2-1 lead with two outs in the top of the sevnth, the Texas Tech Red Raiders softball team is still looking for their first victory of the season after dropping their game to No. 15 Long Beach State on the second day of play at the Paradise Classic Tournament hosted by the University of Hawaii. Tech falls to 0-8 on the year while Long Beach improves to 5-1.

"We need to play error free ball," Tech head coach Renee Luers-Gillespie said. "We played a great game today until that last inning. We put ourselves in position to win the game but didn't finish it."

Tech held a 2-1 lead in the seventh inning and had two outs with runners on first and third. A Long Beach batter hit a grounder up the middle. The ball was fielded by second baseman Briana Nietert but when Paula Workman mishandled the hurried underhand toss from second base and missed the put out, the tying run crossed the plate. Tech had a chance to get out of the inning with the score tied, but pitcher Dana Yocum misfired on a throw to first base for the third put-out. The ball sailed over first baseman Suzie Gomez' head and another run crossed the plate. Long Beach exploded for 7 runs in the seventh inning , aided by three Tech errors.

Yocum took the loss for Tech, falling to 0-3 on the year. Yocum pitched 6 and 2/3 innings and giving up no earned runs before being pulled in the seventh. Yocum, who had one-hit the powerful 49er offense through six innings, gave up five hits in the final inning.

Tech is back in action tonight when they face No. 20 Hawaii.