March 22, 2011

Tech softball splits doubleheader with Eastern Kentucky

In a hotly contested doubleheader at the Tech softball field, the Golden Eagles found themselves on the right and wrong side on a pair of one-run games against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels.

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – In a hotly contested doubleheader at the Tech softball field, the Golden Eagles found themselves on the right and wrong side on a pair of one-run games against the Eastern Kentucky Colonels.

Tech staged a seventh-inning victory against the Colonels in game one as the Golden Eagles won the game 4-3 on Megan Pearson’s RBI single in the bottom of the seventh.

The Golden Eagles fell behind early as the Colonels built a two-run lead in the top of the first, only to have Brittney Spalding crank a two-run home run in the bottom of the third to even the score at two.

EKU managed to take the lead again at 3-2 in the top of the fourth, but TTU answered right back in the fifth as Melody Christian score one of her three runs on a wild pitch to knot up the score at three.

Holly Thomas earned her ninth win of the season as she kept the Colonels off the scoreboard for the final three innings, as she fanned eight batters. EKU’s Noelani Esperas shouldered the loss as she fell to 7-3 on the season.

Christian scored three runs and reached base in all four of her at bats, which included a trio of hits. Brittney Spalding’s third-inning home run was her third of the season, and put her first on the team with 14 runs driven in.

EKU evened the score in the nightcap as it took the second game by the score of 3-2.

Tech struck first in the bottom of the second with a solo home run off the bat of Callie Schmidt, but Claudia Harke ran into trouble in the fourth as she gave way to Whitney Cummings after giving up two runs, one earned, on five hits.

The Golden Eagle responded in the bottom of the inning off an RBI sacrifice fly by Christian, but the Colonels answered right back in the fifth as they opened the inning with a double and an RBI single.

Tech managed four base runners in the final three innings, but EKU’s Kristin Perry was up to the challenge as she kept the Golden Eagles from getting the tying run across the plate for her fifth victory of the season.

Cummings was saddled with the loss and fell to 4-5 on the season.

The Golden Eagles continue conference play this weekend as they head to Murray State for a three-game series beginning with a doubleheader Saturday. Game times are set for 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.