Thomas goes long again, Schmissrauter throws two-hitter
OOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- It was a day of excellent pitching
performances at the Tech softball field on Tuesday as Tennessee
Tech split a doubleheader with the Bradley Braves.
After losing 6-0 in the opener to a solid effort in the circle for
the Braves, the Golden Eagles bounced back to claim a 5-1 win in
the nightcap.
The day began with Tech falling to the Braves by a score of 6-0.
The Golden Eagles were able to earn just five hits off Ashley
Birdsong, who struck out 10 Tech batters. Tech was led by sophomore
Lacie Coquerille, who went 1-for-3 with a double. Holly Thomas took
the loss.
Bradley did most of its damage in the second inning when a walk,
two singles, and a fielder's choice allowed three runs to score.
The Braves scored their remaining three runs over the next two
innings, using a pair of Tech errors to their advantage.
The roles were reversed in game two with sophomore Maddie
Schmissrauter on the mound, coming off of a win at Eastern
Kentucky. Schmissrauter threw the complete game, striking out seven
while allowing only two hits.
The Braves jumped on top once again in the first inning when an
error and a wild pitch, along with aggressive baserunning, gave
them the 1-0 lead.
In the bottom half of the first, Tech struck back. Freshman Whitney
Cummings lined a double to left center, scoring Coquerille from
first, tying the game at one apiece. With two outs, Thomas blasted
a home run over the left field fence, putting Tech up 3-1. The
freshman slugger now leads the team in home runs (5), RBIs (16),
and slugging percentage (.522).
They weren't done there, as they added two more runs in the fourth
with the help of a sacrifice fly by Schmissrauter and a two-out RBI
single by sophomore Kaleigh Gates.
Cummings also added another double in the fifth, her team-leading
11th of the season.
The Golden Eagles will play at home again on Thursday, hosting
Tennessee Wesleyan for a doubleheader at 3 p.m.
