Golden Eagles look to build momentum at Ga. Southern GATA Challenge
STATESBORO, Ga. – Tennessee Tech’s softball team made progress last week in the young season, picking up a victory over Queens. Now, the Golden Eagles look to keep the momentum as they head down to the Peach State to compete in the Georgia Southern GATA Challenge. Tech (1-7) will take on Rhode Island at 9 AM Friday, then the host Eagles at 2 PM. Saturday will see the Golden Eagles take on former Ohio Valley Conference foe Eastern Kentucky at 9 AM, then a repeat game against Rhode Island at 4:30 PM. Tech will close out the event on Sunday as it takes on Georgia Southern at 11 AM. Both games against the host Eagles will be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required).
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By Thomas Corhern, TTU Athletics Media Relations
UPDATE: With the anticipated weather in Statesboro Friday and Saturday, the start time on those days in the GATA Challenge has been moved up an hour:
STATESBORO, Ga. – Tennessee Tech's softball team made progress last week in the young season, picking up a victory over Queens. Now, the Golden Eagles look to keep the momentum as they head down to the Peach State to compete in the Georgia Southern GATA Challenge.
Both games against the host Eagles will be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required).
Last week at the Gardner-Webb Red and Black Classic, outside of the loss to Lehigh, the Golden Eagles saw better numbers with an 8-2 win over Queens – a day after the Royals rallied in the bottom of the seventh to walk off with a 6-5 victory. Tech also had a good showing against the host Runnin' Bulldogs with six hits, but GWU scored two late to lock down the game.
As a team thus far, Tech is batting .253 with 21 RBI on 50 hits. Ashley Capelouto (.400) has a team-best five RBI, while Jailynn Paderez has a .500 average with a team-best 11 hits. Ella Grace Harvey and Ella Bishop each have four RBI, while Harvey also hit the team's first round-tripper with a three-run blast last week.
In the circle, the Golden Eagles have seen some tough pitching against them as opponents have posted a 1.75 earned run average. Tech has a team ERA of 5.17. Addison Abell has the team's best ERA with a 3.50 in four appearances, including one start, with a team-most 12 innings of work. Lainey Fitzgerald (5.42 ERA) picked up the victory against Queens and currently leads the team in strikeouts with 16.
Rhode Island opened its season last week, going 1-2 at the East Texas A&M Lion Invitational. The Rams walked off its season opener against Marist with a 3-2 win as Riley Frickleton hit an RBI single to drive in Hannah Hernandez. Rhode Island lost 1-0 to the host Lions in eight innings, then saw its next two games washed out. The Rams were able to close out the tournament with a Sunday game against Missouri State, falling 4-1.
Brooke Fairbanks has a team-best two RBI, while Becca Zawistowski leads the team in average with a .400 clip, Zawistowski and Hernandez leading the squad with four hits each.
Rhode Island presently has a team ERA of 2.07 with Ashley Hibbard posting a 0.00 in 5 1/3 innings with six strikeouts. Avery Vale-Cruz, who recorded the victory, has a 2.00 in seven innings of work with three strikeouts.
Eastern Kentucky, who the Golden Eagles had a storied softball rivalry with in the 90s and 2000s in their OVC days, has opened the season with a 4-6 mark, going 2-3 at the NFCA Lead Off Classic with wins over North Carolina and Pitt, as well as 2-3 last week at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge, beating Texas-San Antonio twice with two losses to Long Beach State and a defeat from Southern Illinois.
Jada McLoed (.318) leads the team in RBI with nine, while Kennedy Drafton has a team-best average of .321 with seven runs scored and six RBI. Jaelin Haynes (.313) has the team lead in hits with 10.
The Colonels have a 5.76 ERA so far this season, with Bayle Hunnicutt (5.77, 2-3) collecting a team-high 32 strikeouts across 26 2/3 innings with opponents hitting .235 against her. Tayteum Vigansky has a 2-0 mark in 15 innings pitched with a 3.73 ERA, striking out five.
Georgia Southern has a 3-7 record so far this season. The offensive threat is easily Delanie Thames, who has a .419 batting average with five home runs and 15 RBI through the first 10 games of the season. Thames and Kayla Christensen (.394, five RBI) share the team lead in hits with 13 each.
Pitching-wise, Bailey Holland has a 2-1 record with a 1.84 ERA over 19 innings with three walks to 11 strikeouts. Shaylin Stringer also has a win with a 1-1 record and a 2.76 ERA with seven walks and 10 strikeouts. Alana Barnard has had a rough start against really good competition, making her 5.38 ERA and 0-5 record a misnomer as she has three walks and a team-best 18 strikeouts so far this season in six appearances.
Photo | Payton Wagner, TTU Athletics Marketing
