WTC went 5-0 at the Midland College Tournament last weekend, blanking 12th-ranked Eastern Oklahoma in the process and not allowing an earned run over the five games.
“We played lights out,” head coach Rodney McNeill said. “It seems like we played so bad that first week that it embarrassed them. They have put in a lot of hard work. They realize how hard they have to work to be competitive.”
McNeill said the team played well in every facet of the game, getting clutch hitting, opportunistic base-running, sound defense and exceptional pitching from hurlers Pat Gonzales, Eryn Kearby and Amber House.
The coach also made some line-up and batting order adjustments, all of which helped the Dusters even their season mark to 9-9.
“Everything clicked,” he said. “We scored a bunch of runs with two outs, and had two or three stolen bases in each game.”
The team played a trio of games on Valentine’s Day, crushing Alvin,11-2, shutting out Eastern Oklahoma, 5-0, and destroying Ranger, 11-0.
Kearby took the hill against Alvin, going the distance while allowing six hits and giving up just one free pass.
The Dusters put the game away with seven runs over the third and fourth innings.
Tori Picazo had three hits -- including a pair of doubles, scored three runs and drove in three against Alvin, while Tabitha Rodriguez had two base knocks and two RBIs.
Brandy Jordan, Theresa Culvert and Gonzales all had key RBI in the win.
Rodriguez was 3-for-3 against Alvin, jacking a solo home run, while Picazo went 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs.
Gonzales went all seven innings, giving up six hits, no runs and no walks. Her season ERA is 0.40.
Jordan and Gonzales each knocked in two runs and Jessica Prewitt was 3-for-3 with an RBI in a five-inning win over Ranger.
Amber House pitched five strong innings, giving up three hits and no runs while facing just 17 batters.
The team topped Cisco, 7-3, on Sunday, taking advantage of four errors to plate four in the first stanza.
Kearby pitched six innings, facing just four batters over the minimum while surrendering one hit.
Shelley Fisk scored after being hit by a pitch, and while Picazo and Jordan collected two hits each.
Stephanie Wardlaw scored twice.
In the final contest of the weekend, WTC pounded Grayson, 11-2.
Picazo went 3-for-3 with a homer and two RBI, Brooke Guidry and Jordan were both 2-for-3 and Fisk added a double and a run.
Gonzales, Rodriguez and Prewitt all drove in a run.
Gonzales went four innings for the win, and House pitched an inning in relief.
With a Wednesday match-up with conference favorite Odessa on tap, McNeill said now is the perfect time for the Dusters to get on track.
“Right now they are really confident,” he said. “Odessa’s the best team in the conference, and it’s a good time to be playing well.”
WTC and Odessa College will play a doubleheader Wednesday, with the first game slated for 1:30 p.m., with the finale following at 3:30.