Golden Eagle softball looks to gain momentum with weekend trip at Tennessee State
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – After a tough weekend against Belmont last Friday and Saturday, the Tennessee Tech softball team was able to get its feet back beneath them with a big midweek victory over Chattanooga. Now, Tech can use that to build some momentum on Saturday and Sunday as the Golden Eagles head to Nashville to take on Tennessee State. The Tigers (12-31, 3-14 Ohio Valley Conference) slipped into last place in the OVC after Morehead State swept SIUE last weekend. With three weekends remaining in the conference race – and 11 games remaining for the Golden Eagles with TSU, Morehead State, Murray State and Eastern Illinois still remaining on the slate – there’s still a lot that can happen in the standings.
Game 1
Game 1
| Final (8) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 11 | 0 |
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0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 11 | 1 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 6 | 2 |
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1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 2 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 1 |
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0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
By Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – After a tough weekend against Belmont last Friday and Saturday, the Tennessee Tech softball team was able to get its feet back beneath them with a big midweek victory over Chattanooga. Now, Tech can use that to build some momentum on Saturday and Sunday as the Golden Eagles head to Nashville to take on Tennessee State.
The Tigers (12-31, 3-14 Ohio Valley Conference) slipped into last place in the OVC after Morehead State swept SIUE last weekend. With three weekends remaining in the conference race – and 11 games remaining for the Golden Eagles with TSU, Morehead State, Murray State and Eastern Illinois still remaining on the slate – there's still a lot that can happen in the standings.
Murray State (14-3) still holds a tenuous lead over Belmont (13-4) for the top spot with the Racers visiting Cookeville next weekend. UT Martin (10-4) and Southeast Missouri (10-5) take up the next two spots, while the Golden Eagles (9-8) are currently in fifth with Austin Peay (8-9) close behind. Eastern Illinois (6-11) and SIUE (5-12) would presently be the final two teams in the OVC Tournament field at Choccolocco Park, while Morehead State (4-12) and Tennessee State (3-14) are still very much in position to work their way in.
Tennessee State hasn't had much luck so far in April, winning just one game this month with a 3-1 victory over Austin Peay. The Tigers were swept at SIUE, then run-ruled in a doubleheader at Ole Miss, lost two of three at home against the Govs, swept at Murray, then fell in a midweek contest to Alabama A&M.
As a team, the Tigers are batting .179 with 56 RBI and 76 runs scored. Peyton Fointno (.248) leads the team with 17 RBI, while Anayah Baker (.212) has driven in 11 runs and hit both of the Tigers' home runs this season. Jasmine Brown has crossed home the most, scoring 15 runs – one of three TSU players to score in double-digits. Brown also leads the team with 11 stolen bases.
The pitching staff has a combined ERA of 4.60 on the season. Caitlyn Manus leads the team with six victories in 16 starts, walking 34 and striking out 73 with a 4.17 ERA. Raven Loveless has four wins in 15 starts, walking 28 and striking out 35.
The Golden Eagles, meanwhile, are at .500 for the month. After falling twice at Austin Peay, Tech swept SIUE, then saw themselves swept by Belmont last weekend. Alyssa Arden took a no-hitter into the seventh inning of the first game last Friday, but the Bruins tied the game then pulled ahead in extra innings. Belmont run-ruled Tech in the second and third games.
It was an uncharacteristically quiet weekend for the Tech bats as the Golden Eagles batted .227 in the three games with nine RBI. Tech did hit three home runs as Bryson, Carmen Betts and Sydney Love-Baker each went yard, but the team crossed the plate just 10 times in the series.
Savannah Talley went 2-for-4 at the plate at Chattanooga in the last outing, driving in three of Tech's five runs with a home run.
On the season, the Golden Eagles are hitting .290, collecting 214 RBI and scoring 245 runs with 42 home runs. Seven players have 21 or more RBI, while five players have crossed the plate 22 times or more.
Haeli Bryson leads the Golden Eagles in batting with a .409 average, launching nine home runs and driving in 36. Mackenzie Fitzgerald has come home to score a team-best 45 times to go along with her .368 batting average, while also stealing a team-best 22 bases. Fitzgerald and Abby Buettner both have six home runs, while Buettner and Sydney Love-Baker each have 26 RBI.
Arden leads the Golden Eagles with 13 wins, posting a 3.80 ERA with 42 walks and 88 strikeouts. Tyler Erwin has a 10-2 record with a team-best 3.63 ERA, walking 18 and striking out 36, while Bryson has a 3.87 ERA. As a team, Tech has a 3.81 ERA with 85 walks and 170 strikeouts, opponents hitting .267 against.
With the midweek win over Chattanooga, Tech bounced back from a rough weekend in the circle that saw 18 walks to 12 strikeouts, opponents hit .388 and a staff ERA of 12.06. Erwin picked up the relief win at Chattanooga, yielding just one hit to the Mocs and striking out three.
The Golden Eagles (27-14 overall) return home on Wednesday for a doubleheader against Morehead State, then host Murray State in a three-game set next Saturday and Sunday to close out the home slate. Tech hits the road on May 7-8 to Eastern Illinois to wrap up the regular season.
Photo | Emily Armstrong
