Tech tops Cardinals with two-out walkoff
Seniors Holly Thomas and Brooke Basten highlight Tech's 3-2 win over Ball State on Sunday that ended in dramatic fashion. Basten's two-out, bases-loaded single sealed the game after Thomas pitched an eight-strikeout gem.
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CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -- With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, the Tennessee Tech softball team snagged a pair of singles from two of its seniors to take a 2-1 walkoff win over Ball State on Sunday. Brooke Basten drove in the winning run that helped Holly Thomas pick up the 50th win of her career.
The Golden Eagles (6-8) managed just two hits through the first five innings, but tripled that number over the final two frames. The story was much the same for Ball State as Tech's Thomas held the Cardinals scoreless into the seventh inning.
Ball State's only true threat during the first six innings came in the fourth when it loaded the bases with two outs on back-to-back singles and a walk. Thomas stranded all three, however, as she struck out her seventh Cardinal batter in just four innings.
Tech scored first on a sacrifice fly in the sixth to take a one-run lead. Sophomore Cassie Garrett opened the frame with a double to center field. She moved to third after a single by Junior Melody Christian and a four-pitch walk by Basten. Junior Chanelle Spalding then battled through a nine-pitch at-bat and flied out to left to score Garrett, putting Tech on top 1-0.
The Cardinals answered in the top of the seventh, scoring one run on two hits to tie the game at 1-1.
In the bottom of the inning, Thomas singled on the first pitch she saw and was sacrificed over to second. Garrett was intentionally walked and Christian reached on a Cardinal error to load the bases with two outs. Senior Brooke Basten then picked up her first hit of the game, driving a single to left center to score Garrett and give Tech the 2-1 win.
Thomas earned her fourth win of the season, striking out eight and walking just three in her sixth complete game of the year.
Garrett went 1-for-2 on the day with a pair of walks and a run scored. Basten and C. Spalding each picked up an RBI and a walk.
The Golden Eagles' next test comes Friday as Tech faces Georgia State in the opening game of the Buzz Classic in Woodstock, Ga.
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