HUNTSVILLE, TX ? Sam Houston State started its 2009 softball season winning all four of its games in the Domino's Pizza/SHSU Softball Classic Saturday and Sunday to earn the tournament trophy.
The Bearkats outscored their opponents 32-1 in the four contests, out-hitting their foes 41 to 10.
Sam Houston defeated Texas Southern 6-0 and Houston Baptist 10-1 in a five-inning run rule game Sunday.
"We have really been working on hitting and it showed this weekend," SHSU head coach Bob Brock said. "What I liked about our performance this weekend was that the hitting came from everywhere. It came from freshmen and it came from seniors.
"I'm really excited about our hitting. We're well known for our pitching and it came through this weeekend as well. I know our pitchers feel pretty good about having a lot of run support behind them."
In her first college start, freshman pitcher Tomi Garrison limited Texas Southern to one hit in five innings and sophomore Hailey Wiginton led the Kats at the plate with a pair of hits and an RBI as Sam Houston defeated Texas Southern 6-0 in the fifth game of the tournament.
Garrison struck out five batters and walked none. Brandi Crnkovic pitched the final two innings to earn the save. Crnkovic, who became Sam Houston State's all-time career strike out leader Saturday, added five more “Ks” Sunday. That brings her career mark to 436.
Jennifer Delcambre set the record Crnkovic broke Saturday with 427 career strike outs in 1992-95.
The Bearkats played 17 players with the squad combining for eight hits against the Tigers. Wiginton, Kendra Spivey, Courtney Shoenemann and Casie Everitt each had RBIs in the Texas Southern victory.
Morgan Mikulin picked up the victory in the 10-1 win Sunday over Houston Baptist. Mikulin spread five hits over five innings, striking out two.
Mandy Gegen hit a grand slam home run in the eight-run third inning. Erin Burford blasted a two-run homer in the second.
In Sunday's first game, Houston Baptist defeated Texas Southern 4-1.
In Saturday's first day of the tournament, Sam Houston pounded out a total of 24 hits in a pair of 8-0 run-rule victories over HBU and TSU. Alex Survant, Mandy Gegen and Calli Wood each hit home runs for Sam Houston.
Morgan Mikulin and Garrison combined to throw a perfect game in the Texas Southern victory, Mikulin retiring 12 batters in the first four innings and Garrison the final three.
Sam Houston State will play host to nationally ranked Texas A&M Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. at Bearkat Softball Complex in their next action.
