Thomas, Gates stymie Lady Govs as Golden Eagles complete the sweep
In its final home game of the regular season, the Tennessee Tech softball team made sure it would be a memorable Senior Day, as the Golden Eagles completed its sweep of Austin Peay Sunday, with a 3-0 victory
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- In its final home game of the regular season, the Tennessee Tech softball team made sure it would be a memorable Senior Day, as the Golden Eagles completed its sweep of Austin Peay Sunday, with a 3-0 victory.
Junior Holly Thomas, who earned her 14th victory in game one Saturday, kept rolling as she pitched her fifth shutout of the season, fanning five Lady Gov batters in the process.
Thomas remained lights out through most of her seven innings, with the lone exception coming in the third inning. APSU managed to get runners on the corners with two gone. Austin Peay's Jessica Ryan cranked a sharp grounder to the left side, but Tech third baseman Brittney Spalding made a diving stop to get the force out at first to end the inning.
APSU pitcher Morgan Brewer, who gave up six runs in two innings in game one of the series, had a much more favorable start as she kept the Golden Eagles off the scoreboard through the first two innings.
In the bottom of the third, Tech senior Lacie Coquerille opened the scoring with an RBI-single through the left side to put Tech up 1-0.
Both pitchers cruised through the fourth and fifth innings, but in the bottom of the sixth, Tech senior Kaleigh Gates crushed a two-run dinger down the left field line to extend Tech's lead to 3-0.
Thomas sat the Lady Gov batters down 1-2-3 in the top of the seventh to secure the victory.
With its win, Tech took a half-game lead over Murray State for the final spot in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. Both Murray State and Morehead State were rained out Sunday.
Tech (21-24, 12-14 OVC) wraps up its 2011 regular season with a three game series at UT Martin next weekend. The first pitch of Saturday's doubleheader is set for 1 p.m.
