Tech hosts Belmont on Tuesday, travels to EIU on Saturday
A 2-0 start to the OVC season has the Tennessee Tech softball team tied atop the conference standings going into a three-game weekend set at Eastern Illinois. But first, the Golden Eagles will be taking on Belmont in a doubleheader at the Tech Softball Field on Tuesday.
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – A 2-0 start to the OVC season has the Tennessee Tech softball team tied atop the conference standings going into a three-game weekend set at Eastern Illinois. But first, the Golden Eagles will be taking on Belmont in a doubleheader at the Tech Softball Field on Tuesday. Game one against the Bruins is scheduled for 4 p.m.
Belmont is coming off a 4-3 victory over UT Chattanooga last Saturday, snapping the Bruins’ six-game losing skid. With a 3-19 overall record, Belmont has struggled to get consistent pitching in 2010. The Bruins do not have a pitcher with an earned run average below 7.00.
In the past two weeks, Belmont has faced off against a pair of OVC teams in Murray State and Tennessee State. After splitting a pair against the Racers, BU lost twice to the Lady Tigers for a 1-3 mark versus the Ohio Valley Conference.
History is on Tech’s side against the Bruins as TTU has won 22 of the 24 games played between the two schools. Most recently, the Golden Eagles swept a doubleheader against Belmont in the closing weeks of last season. Holly Thomas earned wins in both games as Tech pulled off a 6-3 extra-innings win in the nightcap to secure the sweep.
Admission to Tuesday’s games is free. For fans unable to make it to the Tech Softball Field, live stats will be available through TTUsports.com.
The Golden Eagles (10-15, 2-0 OVC) then return to OVC action at 1 p.m. on Saturday with a doubleheader against Eastern Illinois.
The Panthers are one of four teams that are 2-0 in the OVC following the first weekend of conference action when EIU swept Jacksonville State in a doubleheader on Saturday. JSU was picked to win the conference, while EIU was tied for sixth in the OVC preseason poll.
Denee’ Menzione leads Eastern Illinois (8-11, 2-0 OVC) with four home runs and a .405 batting average, while in the circle, Amber May has a team-best 2.86 earned run average to go along with a 4-7 record.
In their last meeting a season ago, EIU took a 2-1 win over the Golden Eagles at the Tech Softball Field. However, TTU has won eight of the last 10 games between the two teams over the past four seasons.
The Golden Eagle offense, which was on display in full force last weekend against Austin Peay, has posted 17 runs over the past two games, including a season-high 12-run outburst against the Lady Govs in game one of their doubleheader last Saturday. Leading the way in both games was freshman Melody Christian who was 6-for-9 with four runs scored from her leadoff spot in the two games combined.
Following Saturday’s doubleheader, Tech and EIU play a single game on Sunday to wrap up the series. That game is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. Live stats for each game of the EIU series can be viewed at EIUpanthers.com.
